Smita Patil

Smita Patil (1955 – 1986) was a leading actress of the 1970s and 1980s Hindi and Marathi cinema. Her unconventional beauty and arresting screen presence made her the undying symbol of the New Wave cinema in India. Smita Patil was also a women's rights activist.

Related Topics:
1955 - 1986 - 1970s - 1980s - Hindi - Marathi

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Smita Patil belongs to the generation of actresses like Suhasini Mulay and Shabana Azmi strongly associated with a radically political cinema of the 1970s. Her work includes films with parallel cinema directors like Shyam Benegal and Mrinal Sen and the more commerical Bollywood cinema of Bombay. She was an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. In 1977, she won the National Award for 'Best Actress' for her performance in the Bengali film Bhumika.

Related Topics:
Suhasini Mulay - Shabana Azmi - Shyam Benegal - Mrinal Sen - Bollywood - Bombay - Alumna - Film and Television Institute of India - Pune - Bengali - Bhumika

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In her films, Patil's character often represents an intelligent femininity that stands out in relief against the conventional background of male-dominated cinema (films like Bhumika, Umbartha, and Bazaar). In her more commercial films, her glamorous roles reveal the permeable boundaries between 'serious' cinema and 'Bollywood' in the Hindi film industry (films like Shakti and Namak Halaal).

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Patil was also an accomplished photographer. Smita Patil died during childbirth and is survived by a son. She was married to the Hindi film actor Raj Babbar.

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