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Shabana Azmi wrote how films were more important than clothes at the festival
Those filmmakers and co-stars fortunate enough to know her closely, still share anecdotes and instances to this day which stand testament to her influential, inspiring yet short-lived contribution to cinema
Katrina Kaif was announced as the surprise pick for this year's Smita Patil Memorial Award. "I believe it is a matter of great pride that we have an award that acknowledges and recognises the contribution of women to cinema" she said
She joins the ranks of actresses like Tanvi Azmi, Sridevi and Manisha Koirala, Urmila Matondkar, Tabu, Vidya Balan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra
"I feel 1990s had a slight lack of (strong) female characters. I see resurgence of it now. Acceptance from audience makes it easier to make change at grassroots level. Definitely the change is happening," said Freida Pinto
Namak Halaal completed 34 years on Saturday and Mr Bachchan, on his official blog, wrote that Ms Patil was uncomfortable throughout the film's shoot as she wasn't sure about what she was doing in the movie
"There is a new dawn and a new energy. There is a new beginning, I must say. I see a lot more actors, including a few regional and parallel cinema actresses and also my daughter Alia Bhatt walking the way this great actor Smita did way back in time," said Mahesh Bhatt
"Mrinal da being a good East Bengali had to have fish all the time. That must have turned her stomach. She used to borrow vegetables and cooking oil from the cook and made her own food on a stove," recalled actor Dhritiman Chatterjee in Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence, a biography written on the actress
"I was in Bangalore shooting for Coolie once. Late into the night at around 2 am I received a call in my hotel room. The receptionist informed me that it was Smita Patil on the line. I was shocked as I had never spoken or talked to her at such a time. Thinking that it would be an important one, I answered," Mr Bachchan 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 about making uncharitable remarks about her. I regret it," said Shabana Azmi
"Smita Patil recommended my name to Ravi Chopra for the film Aaj Ki Aawaz," he said
Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi starred together in movies like Arth and Mandi