The epitome of grace and beauty, Smita Patil was a pride of Indian cinema. With her gorgeous looks and effortless acting, she had an immense fan following. She had appeared in over 80 films in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam and Kannada. From movies like Manthan, Aakrosh, Arth, Mirch Masala, Waaris and many more, Smita Patil was a powerhouse of Bollywood. During her career of over a decade, she had received two national awards and was also the recipient of Padma Shri. (Also Read: Mahesh Babu's 'Saali Sahiba', Shilpa Shirodkar Talks About Their Bond, Reveals His One Rare Quality)
Smita Patil had changed the entire face of parallel cinema with her stellar performances. She had made her debut in Mere Saath Chal in 1974 but her performance in the film, Nishant, directed by Shyam Benegal had brought her into limelight. She had met veteran actor, Raj Babbar on the sets of Bheegi Palkein. Raj ji was in a complete awe of her beauty and intelligence and couldn’t resist himself from falling in love with her. Raj ji was already a married man when he had fallen in love with Smita ji and he had broken all the societal norms to marry her.
It was on December 13, 1986, when she had left for her heavenly abode at the mere age of 31 due to childbirth complications. December 13, 2020, marked her 34th death anniversary and her husband, Raj Babbar and son, Prateik Babbar shared heartmelting posts for her. Raj ji took to his IG handle and shared a beautiful picture of his late wife and wrote, “You were just 31 when you left us. The short pathway of memories you walked, left so many indelible impressions that your absence isn't easy to believe. You saw so little & yet had so much to showcase. Your hasty retreat from our lives would always remain unexplained.”
On the other hand, Prateik took to his IG handle and shared a monochrome picture of Smita ji and penned an emotional note which can be read as “34 years ago today my mother left us… over the years... I have tried to imagine & create the perfect image of her... in my mind & heart... we’ve arrived at a very special place... a very precious place... now... she’s the perfect mother... the perfect woman... the perfect role model... the apple of every little boys eye... that perfect mother every little boy idolises… & wants to grow up to be like.. the one that will never leave your side... & stay with you... #4ever... till the end of time... & every year... she grows younger... with me... she’s 65 years young now… she will continue to live with me... within me... to infinity... & beyond... my beautiful... mama queen... my reason... numero uno... my #superstar #legend…rest in #love.. in #power... in #paradise.” (Also Read: Mira Rajput Kapoor Turns Her House Into Christmas Theme For Her Kids, Misha And Zain [Pictures])
On October 17, 2019, it was Smita ji’s birthday and her husband, Raj Babbar had posted a picture of her. Along with the picture, he had written a heartfelt note which could be read as “Remembering Smita on her birth anniversary. Though very short, the journey with her was so memorable. She went away silently. The sound of that silence however, shall never fade.” Smita ji’s son, Prateik Babbar had also wished his mother with a black-and-white picture. Along with the picture, he had written, “Happy birthday to my gorgeous lady.”
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In an interview with The Times of India, Raj Babbar had talked about his relationship with wife, Smita Patil. He had stated, “Smita entered my life unexpectedly. When I met Smita Patil for the first time, I realised there was depth to her character. She was generally very friendly and sought my advice once in a while. Gradually, we formed an intimate bond. My relationship with Smita was not the result of problems with Nadira - it just happened. Nadira was mature enough to understand my feelings. Juhi always loved being with Smita.” (Also Read: Kareena Kapoor Khan And Karisma Kapoor Remember Their Dadaji, Raj Kapoor On 96th Birth Anniversary)
You will always be in our hearts, Smita ji!
