स्मिता पाटिल Smita
Patil, the sound immediately project an smiling face with big eyes, full of
ocean of emotions. That’s how I remember her. Eyes were full of honesty, kind heart, jovial and down to earth persona. This is my opinion about someone who has left this bhoolok and went to heavenly abode so early. Lots of challenges were ahead for her, she had the potential.
Years back when the TV came in our house in 1982, we saw her on screen. Songs of Bazaar were featured in chitrahaar on Doordarshan.
since it was story with songs & dance and portrayed life of an actress. How she has to face family tensions along with compromises in her professional life?
Then as I grew up with Doordarshan I got to know more of her films. Sadgati, there I saw a true cinema, that is more near to real life of man.
Two name which history of Indian cinema can’t be complete are Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil ji.
Their names are engraved in golden colour. Both are alumni of FTII, Film &Television Institute of India, Pune.
Both became
pillars of so called parallel cinema?I personally do not agree with the terminology. Cinema is cinema, where is the difference? Difference is in the way of treatment given by the director/editor etc to the media.
Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal & Govind Nilhani had something UNIQUE in them. Whatever they touched became a milestone in history of cinema. Thus Smita ji became the natural choice for that type of cinema.
I also saw Smita
Patil in a Marathi film where Mohan Aghase acted. It was some story of
village/tribal life. They went to take out honey in forest. there due to
stings of honey bee hero died. It was Jait Re Jait?
Smita Patil
worked in a project showing plight of Devdasi tradition, where girls are gifted
to Goddess Yellama. They are often called daughters of Yellema. She played a
role of such exploited women. I think its name was fx/k Gidh- The Vulture.
How the man becomes a vulture? all was shown and compared in the film. All men
were hungry for flesh and tried all their religious excuses just to pry on
flesh of small girl child. As soon as girls are gifted to Goddess, the priest
jumped on girl just to satisfy his lust. 
Then there was a
film Raavan. 
Most memorable image is from film Manthan. I loved the song nw/k dh ufn;k ckgs tk ekjs ?kj vxuk uk “mhare ghar angna na …” Beautifully sung by Preeti Sagar, what a powerfull voice she has. It looked as if this song was just written and composed for her voice only. No other singer could have done justice to this song.
Mirch Masala and
Bhavani Bhavai were other two movies who etched out permanently on me. Both had
Gujarat, saurasthra in backdrop. Mirch Masala was full of stars, Dina Pathak,
Naseeruddin, Smita Patil Om puri, 
I think all her roles were chosen to depict strong and fighting women. Who choose to stand against the male domination?
Gaman, Sadgati, Raavan, Gidh, Bhumika, charandas chor, Bazaar, Mandi, Manthan, Jait Re Jait, Mirch Masala all such movies were not masala movies.
But all made a statement. All her films will be remembered for her acting. She has acted in few Hindi Masal movies with Amitabh Bacchan and Rejsh Khanna. The roles were poerfull.
There was a film in which she says she will give waris to this land, it was made in Punjabi
background. Later I read in newspapers that the dubbing was done by Rekha ji when she died suddenly.
Another film in which Ambrish Puri. in that Smita played role of a singer or a dancer(? i dont know) But in one film she played role of wife of the zamindar-played by Amrish Puri. It feels that all her roles were written for her only, but truth only director writers can tell.
But yes She has left an indelible mark in Indian Cinema. She and Shabana Azmi ji have changed the normal(?) definition of beauty on screen?? the concept of fair color or beauty has changed. Similarly Om Puri
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