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The parallel cinema movement of Hindi cinema in the 1970s and ’80s introduced us to two powerhouse performers – Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil! Both shared a similar artistic palette, and both were the prized muses of filmmakers like Shyam Benegal and Mahesh Bhatt. Interestingly, both redefined the portrayal of Indian women on screen. Yet, off-screen, their relationship was marked by an intense, unspoken cold war that blew out of proportion on the sets of Arth, and the rift, sadly, remained unsolved and ended only with Smita Patil’s tragic death in 1986.
Decades later, Shabana Azmi recalled the rivalry and what exactly happened that turned the final nail in the coffin. Things went so south that there was no coming back to a mutual balance and working together! And it all happened with one witness – Mahesh Bhatt, who directed the two of them!
“Smita Was Supposed To Play The Bai”: How Arth Turned Tables!
The creative friction between the two reached its boiling point during Arth. In an interview with Filmfare, Shabana Azmi recalled the original blueprint for Arth! She narrated the casting irony of the film, “Arth mein Smita Patil was supposed to do a special appearance as the Bai. The one that Rohini Hattangadi had done! She said that I wanted to play the other woman.”
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Smita’s insistence on taking up the complex role of the other woman altered the canvas of the movie entirely. Acclaimed writer Vijay Tendulkar famously remarked on the same as Shabana recalled, “Wo kehte hain, Vijay Tendulkar ki, that’s what’s wrong with Arth. Because actually, it is Pooja’s story; it was the wife’s story. But since Smita had done it, so much more footage had to be given to her.”
The One Scene That Caused The Drama!
Shabana Azmi recalled what happened during the shoot and narrated, “Phir ek baar aisa hua ki I lose my balance in that scene in Arth, where I say all those things and Smita said ki koi bhi aurat aise nahi keh sakti, bistar mein randi ka roop and all. And she said nahi, ye to bilkul theek nahi hai.” Despite Smita’s reservations, Mahesh Bhatt pushed ahead, leaving a lasting strain between the two leads. Recalling how the scene was done under a lot of stress, Shabana Azmi admitted, “Wo jo toota na, unfortunately, wo kabhi repair nahi hua.”
She continued, “Wo jo toota na, unfortunately, wo kabhi repair nahi hua. But her parents were nice to me, and my parents were nice to her. In a strange way, after she passed away, I sort of became a surrogate Smita to her parents. Which baffled me, but it completed the circle. So I regret that I said uncharitable things about Smita. I really regret it. Because uski zaroorat nahi thi. I wish I hadn’t done it!”
Interestingly, in another interview, Mahesh Bhatt also confirmed the rivalry and said, “Both actresses had great respect for each other’s work, but while Smita never admitted that Shabana gave her sleepless nights, the latter did confess that her rival disturbed her!”
Sadly, the issue could not be resolved since Smita Patil passed away on December 13, 1986, after a prolonged illness.
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