When Smita Patil Was Unaware That Amrish Puri Had Planned With Director Shyam Benegal To Slap Her

Amrish Puri and Smita Patil were two legendary stars who were known for their work in Shyam Benegal's Bhumika. However, do you know for a fact that there is a scene in the movie where Amrish Puri actually gave Smita Patil a tight slap? The actress was caught completely off guard and did not even know that this was something that was coming towards her.

Amrish Puri once revealed why he had slapped Smita Patil

Amrish Puri and Smita Patil worked together in the 1977 melodrama movie, Bhumika, which was loved by all. Bhumika was one of the most memorable classics directed by Shyam Benegal. Amrish Puri once appeared on the famous talk show titled Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai and revealed slapping Smita Patil. She was not aware that she would be slapped during a scene.

Amrish Puri wanted Smita Patil's natural reaction in Bhumika

Why did Amrish Puri slap Smita Patil? He had remembered the scene and shared that his character had to stop Smita's character from leaving the home. It is interesting to note that Amrish had asked the director, Shyam Benegal, if he could slap Smita Patil. Bhumika director, Shyam Benegal, had immediately agreed, and when he had slapped her on the sets of the movie, Smita Patil's reaction was all things organic. Amrish Puri had revealed that Smita Patil's organic reaction was very important for the movie. During the argument, Amrish was supposed to slap Smita, and the late actor had once shared:

"In the scene, I stop her from going outside, and she talks back to me. Unable to take this, I had to get up and slap her."

Smita Patil was not at all aware that Amrish Puri would slap her in the movie

An innocent Smita Patil was not at all aware that Amrish Puri had planned to slap her on the sets of Bhumika. She had given a very natural reaction on camera. The scene had added a lot of realism to Bhumika and had become one of the most memorable parts of the movie. The actress was praised for her performance in the movie. For the unversed, director Shyam Benegal's Bhumika had Smita Patil, Amol Palekar, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah, and Amrish Puri, all in very important roles. The film was a cinematic adaptation of the Marathi memoirs titled, Sangtyle Aika. It is of the famous Marathi screen and stage actress named, Hansa Wadkar.

More about Bhumika

Under Shyam Benegal's direction, Bhumika, Smita Patil's character, was shown to be transformed from a vivacious teenager into a wise, middle-aged woman with deep wounds. Bhumika had given Smita Patil not just one but two National Film Awards. Bhumika was further invited, reportedly to the Carthage Film Festival, Tunisia, in 1978 and also to the Chicago Film Festival. Here, Bhumika reportedly was awarded the Golden Plaque back in 1978, along with the 1986 Festival of Images in Algeria.

What is Bhumika based on?

According to social media reports, Bhumika is totally based on the life of actress, Hansa Wadkar. She was a Marathi actress back in the 1930s and 1940s and her memoir had spoken about her experiences in the Hindi movie industry and also the Marathi theatre. It is worth mentioning that Amrish Puri and Smita Patil appeared together in 16 movies. Their first collaboration was back in 1975 with the film Nishaant, and their last on-screen pairing was seen in 1988 in Waarish. Well, Smita's character was not like an angry young man. It was channelled with the anger of someone who was manipulated all her life and was also fighting a losing battle against the patriarchal norms.

What are your views about Amrish Puri slapping Smita Patil on the sets of Bhumika?

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