Actress Par Excellence

From her point of view, Smita regarded ‘Subah’ as the movie she identified herself as a woman with. Her portrayal of a woman torn between family responsibilities and perusal of a career had moved her deeply.

Many a people feel that Smita was not cut out to deliver the goods in commercial films. Though Smita had acted and acted well in many a commercial production, I personally feel that she was designed for a far more meaningful cinema. She was an actress more apt to touch the chords of the heart than ring the coffers alive. And the retrospective of her films arranged at Paris was glowing tribute to the fact.

Just a look at that dark yet refreshing face, the silent yet verbose lips and the meaningful oceanic eyes could do more than the entire body works of others.

To have acted in 50 films in half a dozen languages, most of them sterling performances, is like having come a long way. But at 31, it’s just like the beginning of the innings. But that’s probably how Smita would have wanted it- big yet no long.

Rekha has done well with Shashi Kapoor, Shabana with Naseruddin. In similar way, Smita and Om Puri made a delightful two-some to watch on the screen in films like ‘Ardh Satya’ and ‘Sadgati’. The two had a unique vibrant coordination which could be felt profusely.

Destiny has its own designs of pulling the strings, but for Smita, it was in an ironical way. Films are made on the lives of great film luminaries after their death, but Smita had enacted in herself on the screen. In one of her lesser known films ‘Pet Pyaar Aur Paap’, Smita had enacted s slum-dweller who was bearing a child of married truck driver, Raj Babbar. It is the end that makes on ponder. Smita dies living Raj Babbar the baby behind.

There is a definite dearth of talent in the heavens for an actress like Smita to break off her journey at such a premature junction to leave for the celestial abode.