This superstar, Shabana Azmi's rival began career as a TV newsreader, fell in love with married man, died at 31 after..

Regarded among the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, Smita Patil's life was short but eventful. She left such a lasting impact on people's mind that they remember her to this date. Today, October 17, is Smita Patil's birth anniversary. She was an Indian actress primarily famous for her work in both Hindi and Marathi films. Smita Patil appeared in over 80 films during her career, spanning over a decade, and was honored with the Padma Shri in 1985.

Smita Patil made her debut with Shyam Benegal's Charandas Chor (1975). She started her career in the early 1970s as a television newsreader on the newly transmitting Mumbai Doordarshan, the Indian government-run broadcaster. In her career of 10 years, Smita Patil worked with superstars like Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, and Raj Babbar, among others. While her work spoke for itself, it was her personal life that garnered the most attention.

Smita Patil fell in love with Raj Babbar who was already married to Nadira Babbar at the time. Raj Babbar left his first wife and married Smita Patil, a move which drew much criticism from media and fans. For the unversed, the couple first met on the sets of the 1982 film Bheegi Palkein. Their son, actor Prateik Babbar was born, in November 1986.

Smita Patil died at just 31 due to childbirth complications in December 1986. On her death, poet Kaifi Azmi said in his inaugural address at a charity function, "Smita Patil is not dead. Her son is still amongst us." After her demise, over ten of her films were released. 

Interestingly, when Smita Patil was at the peak of her career, she was considered to be a strong rival for Shabana Azmi. At an event in 2015, Shabana Azmi spoke about this rivalry and said, "Smita and I could never be friends. The rivalry between us, some of it manufactured by the media and some of it real, caused tension. I have said it before and I do so today, that I have been guilty of making uncharitable remarks about her. I regret it. There were efforts of reconciliation and we were able to maintain civility, but we were never able to turn into friendship. But at no point, did it spill over to our families."

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