Smita Patil
exemplifies what it means to be at the right place,at the right time and with
the right people. This book is not a conventional biography but traces her
meteoric journey through those seminal years when parallel cinema reached its
heights as many auteur redefined both the film narrative and emergence of the
new Indian woman.
The Introduction sets
Smita in the context of the rise of this new cinema and the next two chapters describe her staunchly
progressive middle-class Maharashtrian roots in Pune and her subsequent move to
Bombay. From newsreader on Doordarshn to
working with the foremost directors of the day is the fascinating story told in
chapter 3.
Smita’s
extraordinary contribution to the making of landmark films is the heart of
chapter 4, titled Her Dasavatars.
Chapter 5 details another remarkable feature
of her career: a non-egoistic, whole- hearted participation in ensemble films
that featured the who’s who of parallel cinema.
The 80s are ambivalent, where
she straddled both the best of new cinema and ventured into mainstream masala and this uneasy ride is
critically examined in chapter 6.
The next chapter attempts to capture the
elusive contradictions of the complex woman behind the screen image.
The final
chapter mourns Smita’s tragic death and celebrates what she meant to a host of
people, both those who knew her well and others who loved her from afar,
mesmerized by her screen presence. The
insights and reminiscences of her family, friends, directors, co-stars and
journalists are woven into the narrative.
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