THE BOLLYWOOD 100

Most Underrated · Women

Smita Patil

स्मिता पाटील

“Two National Awards, dead at 31, and still spoken of as the alternative to a mainstream she outperformed.”

Screen debut
1974
Best in
Bhumika (1977)
Also see
Manthan · Mandi · Ardh Satya · Chakra · Mirch Masala
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The case

Patil could hold a frame with her back to the camera. She moved between Benegal's parallel cinema and full commercial films without changing her register, which nobody else of her generation managed. She is 'underrated' in the specific sense that her name is invoked constantly and her films are watched rarely.

Where to start

Begin with Bhumika (1977). It's in this canon — read our entry on it. Then work through Manthan, Mandi, Ardh Satya.

See how we defined “underrated” and why some obvious names are missing in our methodology essay.

In the canon

Smita Patil appears in 9 films on this list