Smita was one of those rare actors who made a director’s job an absolute pleasure. She was a complete director’s actor, immensely talented, instinctive and deeply committed to her craft. She had an extraordinary ability to understand a character and bring it to life with a naturalness that was only her.
My association with Smita goes back to Ghulami, my first film as a director, and it was during that film that we grew very close. What began as a professional association soon became a personal friendship. Smita, my younger brother Deepak, Vinod Khanna, our dear friend Prakash Menda and I were part of a close group . We were more like an extended family than just a group of friends, and some of the happiest memories of my life were spent with them.
One memory of Smita that has always stayed with me is from our days shooting Ghulami in the desert. We would be shooting for long hours, and the unit would return to our tents at all sorts of odd hours. Yet, no matter how late it was, Smita would make sure that there was food waiting for us and that hot rotis were being made for everyone. It was such a simple gesture, but it spoke volumes about the person she was. In the middle of a demanding shoot, she would think about whether everyone had eaten and was looked after. That warmth and thoughtfulness are things I have never forgotten.
I remember Smita not just as a brilliant actor, but as a dear friend who was very close to me. She had an extraordinary gift for her craft, but it was her warmth as a human being that made her so special. The time I spent with Smita and Vinod, and the friendship we shared during those years, remain some of the most cherished memories of my life. I miss her and him a lot. Some people leave behind great performances; others leave behind a part of themselves in your life. Smita did both.
Also Read: “Both Smita and I Were Expecting Our Sons at The Same Time” – Rati Agnihotri Recalls
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