Amitabh Bachchan Told Smita Patil Not To Eat On Floor With Crew: 'Humko Bhi Karna Padega'
Smita Patil's grounded nature once left Amitabh Bachchan amused on a film set, recalls Prateik Babbar.
Late actor Smita Patil, known for her powerful performances in classics like Mirch Masala, Manthan, Bhoomika, Arth and Namak Halaal, continues to be remembered for not just her talent, but also her humility. In a recent interview with Varinder Chawla on his YouTube channel, her son Prateik Babbar shared a heartwarming anecdote from the sets of Shakti (1982), where Smita shared screen space with legends like Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar and Rakhee.
Prateik recalled how his mother would bring a large lunchbox from home and sit on the floor with the lightmen during lunch breaks. 'Such a big superstar… Smita Patil, she was sitting on the floor with all the lightmen," he said.
Amitabh Bachchan, too, has spoken fondly about his Namak Halaal co-star. In an older blog post, he wrote about her discomfort during the film's shoot. 'She just could not understand why she was asked to do what she was asked to do in the film," he noted. 'But she did it with a lot of personal persuasion from me and it came out fine. She was gentle and frail but stronger than anything you could ever encounter in a woman… truly a gift we lost we never should have."
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