Smita Patil | Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
In 1976, Indian cinema did something that had never happened before! A unique film named churn (The Manthan) was funded by five lakh dairy farmers themselves. Directed by Shyam Benegal, a pioneer of independent Indian cinema, the film was inspired by the milk revolution initiated by Verghese Kurien. Girish Karnad’s character in the film was based on him. With a fine cast like Naseeruddin Shah, Amrish Puri and Kulbhushan Kharbanda, this groundbreaking film also starred a 20-year-old Smita Patil as Bindu, who leads a revolt against the milk mafia. As a young woman caught in the caste and gender complexities of life in rural India, she showed a vulnerability that touched the hearts of the audience.
Nearly 50 years after its release, churn It recently came into the spotlight again when it was screened at the 77th Cannes Film Festival alongside classics by Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa and Wim Wenders. Following its successful run at the festival, a restored version of the film was released. churn After being released on the big screen in 50 cities and 100 theatres across the country, there was a renewed interest in the brilliant work of Smita Patil, one of India’s early parallel cinema superstars.
With Girish Karnad churn
| Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
She was born on 17 October 1955 to a Maharashtrian politician Shivajirao Girdhar Patil and social activist mother Vidyatai Patil in Pune, a city that also boasted a thriving theatre scene that nurtured acclaimed directors like Vijay Tendulkar and Jabbar Patel, who later ventured into filmmaking. In addition, Pune had the prestigious FTII, a breeding ground for the Indian New Wave cinema movement, which aimed to create a realistic portrayal of society and the human condition. This environment significantly influenced Smita’s early career, although she never intended to become an actor. Even while studying at Mumbai’s Elphinstone College, her striking beauty landed her appearances in student films and even a job as a news reader at Doordarshan. Tivra Medium (1974), directed by Arun Khopkar was an FTII project. Shyam Benegal gave him a break in it. Charandas Chor (1975), which launched one of Bollywood’s most prolific and tragically short-lived careers.
With Shyam Benegal and Shabana Azmi | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Smita dominated the 1970s and early 80s with a number of films featuring her strong and empowered image. This included films such as churn (1976), Jait Re Jait (Marathi, 1977), Role (1977), Akaler Sandhane (Bengali, 1981), cycle (1981), Ambartha (Marathi, 1982) Morning In Hindi), Meaning (1982), market (1982), Wave (1984) and Why after all? (1985). I. “Mistral cinema began with the portrayal of the real Indian woman, very much a ‘woman of the land’. I continue to do down-to-earth roles because I am that kind of person myself. I am fortunate that the kind of person I am could be included in the roles that were offered to me early in my career,” she said in an interview in 1985.
No one can dispute Smita’s enormous range, her vocal and physical artistry, and her unique skill in expressing complexity, intensity and humanity. She, along with colleagues and competitors Shabana Azmi and Deepti Naval, introduced a new view of what female characters could be and achieve. Unlike most Bollywood films, which focus on portraying women as attractive but powerless objects trapped in dramatic situations, these actors played characters that blazed a new trail. Only a few actors before them managed to challenge the stereotype and capture the attention of audiences. Smita, in her early career, had it all: a brilliant unpredictability, a faultless technique, an intellectual approach and a deep, personal undercurrent in each role.
She became the poster girl of the new wave or parallel cinema in India. Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Despite being the poster girl of parallel or new wave cinema, Smita did not shy away from venturing into the glamorous world of Bollywood and taking up purely commercial roles, which she had previously avoided. Why does Albert Pinto get angry?, Power, FaithfulAnd Why after all Her reputation as an extremely adaptable actress was solidified.
Smita Patil earned both critical acclaim and box office success | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In her personal life, Patil was a free-spirited, adventurous soul who roamed the streets of Pune on her bike, wearing her dirty blue jeans. The actor also drove an army Jonga jeep from Delhi to Bombay through the Chambal Valley. An accomplished photographer and connoisseur with an eye for detail, she also had a fine aesthetic, equally comfortable creating costumes and crafting the visual world of her films as a production designer. Sadly, her life came to an end at the young age of 31. And though Smita Patil did over 70 films (in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu and Malayalam) in her decade of career, earning her both critical acclaim and box office success, it is impossible not to think of what incredible things she might have achieved had she lived longer
