Smita Patil Birth Anniversary: 5 Movies of the Legendary Actress One Must Watch

It is Smita Patil’s birth anniversary today. The actress was born on October 17, 1955, in Pune, Maharashtra. Regarded as one of the finest actors of her time, Patil acted in over 80 films in a span of a decade. The films did not include only Hindi cinema but also Bengali, Gujarati, Malayalam, Marathi, and Kannada hits. Patil started her career as a television newsreader for Mumbai Doordarshan. She debuted in films with Shyam Benegal’s Charandas Chor in 1975. Some of her critically acclaimed movies were Manthan, Bazaar, Ardh Satya, Waaris, among others.

You travelled so less – yet your innocence & perfection made it’s impression on so many. Your craft carried the purity of your soul – your captivating presence belied your simplicity. Your influence has been so defining.

Remembering #SmitaPatil on her birth anniversary today. pic.twitter.com/n7EzvvHhf5

— Raj Babbar (@RajBabbar23) October 17, 2022

She received the fourth highest civilian honor of India, Padma Shri in 1985. Patil married actor Prateek Babbar and two weeks after giving birth to his son, Prateek Babbar, she died due to childbirth complications on December 13, 1986.

Here are some of her must watch movies: 

1. Bhumika (1977)
   The movie was released in 1977 and was directed by Shyam Benegal. The movie is based on a memoir by well-known Marathi actor Hansa Wadkar. Patil played the strong role of a woman who, from a lively teenager turned into a wiser, deeply wounded woman. The film also starred Amol Parashar and Anant Nag alongside Patil.
2. Namak Halal (1982)
   Released in 1982, Namak Halal is a comedy film directed by Prakash Mehra and written by Kader Khan. The multi-starrer has Patil play the character of Poonam, which she grabbed after replacing Smita Bansal. She is Amitabh Bachchan aka Arjun’s love interest.
3. Ardha Satya (1983)
   Ardha Satya was a film directed by Govind Nihalani and was based on S D Panvalakr’s short story, Surya. The movie is considered to be one of the best cop movies of India. Smita steps into the shoes of Jyotsna Gokhale, a lecturer in literature at a local college, who falls in love with Om Puri’s character Anant.
4. Mirch Masala (1987)
   Mirch Masala is a psychological thriller directed by Ketan Mehta. The film had Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah in leading roles. Patil’s performance in the movie was so acclaimed that she found a mention in the Forbes ‘25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema’ in 2013.
5. Waaris (1988)
   This movie was adapted from a Punjabi Novel Kaara-Hatthhi and was directed by Raveendra Peepat. The movie starred Raj Babbar, Amrita Singh, Raj Kiran and Smita Patil in lead roles. This movie was released after Patil’s demise, so actor Rekha had dubbed lines for the late actor.