Smita Patil – Lost Presence
So how does one sum up Smita’s achievement? At the risk of being misunderstood, let me say that she remained an actress in search of a director.
Gaman (1978)
Gaman is a 1978 Hindi film made by Muzaffar Ali and has Farooq Shaikh and Smita Patil in main roles. The film is a take on the lives of migrants in big cities, as seen from the eyes of a young man from Uttar Pradesh who has to leave his wife back home and come to Bombay in search of better life, and ends up as a lonely taxi driver.
Bhumika (1977)
Bhumika is a 1977 Hindi film directed by Shyam Benegal and has Smita Patil, Amol Palekar, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah, and Amrish Puri in prominent roles. Said to be based on a memoir of Marathi actress Hansa Wadkar, Bhumika tells the story of an actress and her search for identity and self-fulfillment.
Chakra (1981)
Chakra is a 1981 Hindi film directed by Rabindra (Robin) Dharmaraj, starring Smita Patil and Nasiruddin Shah. The film tells the story of a migrant family that takes refuge in the slums of Dharavi and is slowly sucked into the seedy underbelly of Bombay.
Jait Re Jait (1977)
Jait Re Jait is a 1977 Marathi film directed by Jabbar Patel. With Smita Patil and Mohan Agashe in lead roles, the film revolves around the life and tradition of the Thakar tribe in Maharashtra.