Remembering Smita Patil

Smita Patil in a still from Shyam Benegal's Bhoomika

She passed away at a young age, but her enigma remains. The talented Smita Patil, who acted in several Hindi and Marathi films in a short career, made an impact very few artistes have managed to in their lifetime. Iconic among them was Mirch Masala which discussed female empowerment and drew focus on its relevance in the country.

Smita Patil in a still from Shyam Benegal's Bhoomika

National Centre for the Performing Arts in association with National Film Archive of India has organised Smita - A Minor Retrospective of a Major Actress. This two-day event will feature Shyam Benegal's Bhumika, with an introduction by the filmmaker, a discussion on the film and acting featuring Nandita Das, Sonali Kulkarni, Richa Chadda and Swara Bhaskar, and a screening of G Aravindan's Chidambaram on the first day of the event. The screening will have an introduction by Maithili Rao, author of a biography on the actress.

The second day will see the screening of Mrinal Sen's Akaler Sandhaney (introduction by director Neeraj Ghaywan), Jabbar Patel's Umbartha and Satyajit Ray's Sadgati.