Remembering Smita Patil, one of the greatest artists ever to have blessed India

Every time you think about Smita Patil, just one question comes to mind, 

"Why would God bless us with a genius like her if he wanted to snatch her away so soon? What kind of sadistic pleasure he would have derived by depriving the world of the sheer joy of her artistic brilliance so soon?"

Art and Cinema have had their share of legends. But no one could be so magical and impactful as Smita Patil was. She made Writers, Directors, co actors and dialogues so much irrelevant because she was blessed with magic in her eyes through which she could narrate an entire story, a whole set of emotions and the  art of stealing a million hearts even without the aid of anything else. She could seduce you, entice you, devastate you, disturb you, outrage you and kill you with those eyes and the expressions through those eyes.

She was much more than the National awards, the Filmfare awards, the Padma Shri and the countless accolades she won during her short life. She was much more than the only Indian artist who could bridge the gap between commercial and art cinema. She was much more than the one who could win a million hearts belonging to the masses as well as the classes in one breath. She was much more than the proud owner of the most impressive resume in terms of filmography with masterpieces like Nishant, Manthan, Bhumika, Gaman, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai, Aakrosh, Bhavani Bhavai, Chakra, Bazaar, Arth, Umbartha, Ardth Satya, Mandi and Mirch Masala on one hand and massy successful mainstream flicks like Namak Halaal, Shakti, Sharaabi, Ghulami, Ghungroo, Haadsa, Dance Dance, Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki, Angaarey, Amrit on the other. She was all of the above and much more. She was a divine soul, an embodiment of the artistic genius who visited us for a brief period before returning back to paradise which perhaps deserved her more than us. Some souls are destined to achieve everything by the age of 31 what most of us mortals fail to do in a hundred years. She was one such exceptional genius. Many tried to come close to her, few managed to do so, but none managed to outshine her. She was God's special gift to us.

Happy Birthday Smita Ji !

By: Ambika Prasad Mahapatra