More than two decades have passed, but memories of daughter Smita Patil are as fresh as the tears in her mother Vidya Patil's eyes. Farhana Farook takes notes on the actor's 53rd birth anniversary
Childhood tales
"Smita's life was nothing but a series of accidents. I didn't want to get pregnant when I conceived her. Then I had a fall during my pregnancy. She was born a little premature. After two months, I had to wean her as I had to resume work (Vidya served as a nurse). I felt very torn.
Smita hated me leaving for work. I had to leave for my night duty at 8 pm. Just at that time a particular music would be played on the radio. Smita had begun to associate my leaving home with that music. She would hold my legs and say, Don't go!' Once she said, 'Maa, maa, mat ja raat ko kaam par. Tu apna dawakhana bhi gira de aur meri pathshala bhi (mother don't go to work at night, you destroy your hospital and my school too)!
Date with the camera
"Earlier we lived in Pune. Once Smita, as a teenager happened to visit the FTII there. Arun Khopkar, writer Shanta Gokhale's husband saw her. He made her feature in a 20-minute film, which focused on her eyes.
Later, Smita came to Mumbai to study Mass Communications at St Xavier's College.
One day she happened to accompany a friend to Doordarshan. A director there thought she had come for auditions. She was wearing jeans and chappals, a jhola hung on her shoulders and her hair was carelessly knotted in a bun. Aaine se uski dosti kum thi (she was never too fond of the mirror). Smita sang a Bengali song. He was impressed and asked her to read Hindi news. Years later, when Smita was shooting with Rajesh Khanna for Aakhir Kyun, he told me, 'Maa I won't lie. You can check with Dimple.
When I'd see Smita reading the news, I would tell Dimple that one day this girl will be on the big screen. I'd turn back from the door if I happened to spot her on TV'.
Shyam Benegal cast Smita in Charandas Chor (a children's film). Then he planned Nishant with her. I didn't want her studies to be disturbed. So Shyam met the principal and took his permission. Later came Manthan and the rest is history. Reality was the soul of Smita's films. That's why her art is timeless.
Simply Smita
"Once, Smita happened to tell her sister Manya and her friends that she knew she'd 'go away' soon. Within the 10 years of her career she witnessed great success. But at heart Smita remained very simple. Director Muzaffar Ali had asked his sweeper in Lucknow to play the role of Smita's mother-in-law in Gaman. When that lady visited Mumbai with her children, Smita asked me to cook food for her, buy her a sari and clothes for her children.
On another occasion, she had to catch a 9 am flight to shoot for Bhumika. My maid had not been coming for a long time. Smita washed all the utensils fatafat, drove the car herself and rushed to the airport. She was that simple!
When dreams die
"Use bachchapan se khwahish thi maa banne ki. All she wanted was a small house, a loving husband and children. After her delivery she wanted me to be near her so that I could look after the baby (Prateik). But she fell ill and had high fever. That fateful night there was no electricity and the telephone was not working. There was nobody at home when she vomited. It suggested internal bleeding. She didn't want to leave Prateik and went to the hospital reluctantly. On the way she fell unconscious. If there is an Ishwar, I want to ask him why He did this to her. Kyun chalee gayee woh kachche mod par (why did she leave at such an incomplete turn)?
Prateik and me
"The responsibility of looking after Prateik became mine. I was there for him just as she would have wanted me to be. I am strict with Prateik (Babbar, actor). That is something he may not always like. But he's as simple as her. For me, whether he becomes a hero or a sweeper it's the same. No work is any less from the other.
In Smita's memory
"We've started a school called the Smita Patil Public School in Shirpur, near Dhulia (Maharashtra) over 25 acres of land. There are 1000 children studying there. There's special arrangement for girls to stay there too.
This beautiful house where we stay also belongs to her. Sadly, she didn't stay here even for a day. Once it was raining and I wrote these few lines …
Sach kahoon to aajke din
tujhe hona chaiye tha,
(Truly, you should have been here today)
Kitni chaah thi tujhe
saagar ke kinare ghar lene ki…
(You so much desired for a house near the sea)
Aaj ki barsati hawa mein…
tujhe samundar ki lehron ka taandva dekhna tha…
(Amidst these monsoon winds you should have seen the dance of the waves)
k_farhana@dnaindia.net
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