When Amrish Puri slapped Smita Patil during the shooting of Shyam Benegal's 'Bhumika'
Mumbai, June 14
Legendary actors Amrish Puri and Smita Patil gave memorable performances in filmmaker Shyam Benegal's "Bhumika".
However, did you know that in one of the scenes from the film, Amrish Puri actually slapped Smita Patil, that too without her knowing, catching her completely off guard.
During his appearance on the beloved talk show, "Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai," Amrish Puri shared the incident, saying, "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."
He revealed that he asked director Shyam Benegal, "Sir, what if I actually slap her?"
The filmmaker agreed to the idea immediately, and when Amrish Puri slapped Smita Patil during the scene, her reaction was absolutely organic.
"That reaction has to be seen in the film. That is a natural reaction", Amrish Puri had said.
Directed by Shyam Benegal, "Bhumika" features Smita Patil, Amol Palekar, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah, and Amrish Puri in pivotal roles, along with others.
The movie is a cinematic adaptation of the Marathi memoirs, "Sangtye Aika" of the well-known Marathi stage and screen actress of the 1940s, Hansa Wadkar.
Smita Patil gave a memorable performance, perfectly showcasing her character's transformation from a vivacious teenager to a wiser but deeply wounded middle-aged woman.
The project ended up bagging, not one but two National Film Awards. It was further invited to the Carthage Film Festival, Tunisia , in 1978, along with the Chicago Film Festival, where it was awarded the Golden Plaque in 1978, and also the 1986 Festival of Images in Algeria.
It might be interesting to know that Amrish Puri and Smita Patil have starred in 16 movies together. Their first collaboration was in 1975 with the movie "Nishaant", and their last on-screen pairing was in 1988 in "Waarish".
— IANS
Reader Comments
But honestly, slapping someone without consent, even for a film scene, feels wrong. I know it was a different era and methods were different, but we should also respect actors' boundaries. Smita Patil was such a fine actress, she probably would have delivered the same reaction with a fake slap.
Wah! That's the kind of commitment you rarely see today. Today's actors would probably ask for 10 retakes and a green screen. Amrish Puri sir and Smita Patil ji were from a different league! Bhumika is a masterpiece and that slap scene is iconic. 👏
I've seen Bhumika several times, and Smita Patil's performance is incredible. But reading this now makes me uncomfortable. Even if the director agreed, was Smita Patil okay with it? She gave her life to cinema, but actors deserve to know what's happening to them on set. Hope she wasn't too traumatized by this.
Pure dedication from both actors! Smita Patil's natural reaction made the scene timeless, and Amrish Puri sir was bold to suggest it. Shyam Benegal's films always pushed boundaries. And 16 films together? They had amazing chemistry. Also, Hansa Wadkar's memoirs must have been incredible for such a film.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.