[Reader-list] Reminder: Call for Paper - The Smita Patil Retrospective

Sat Mar 5 05:58:09 CST 2016

Dear friend,

A bunch of Bangaloreans drawn from different walks of life but very
passionate about cinema is organizing a retrospective of Smitha Patil from
April 8th to the 10th 2016 at two different venues in Bangalore (National
Gallery of Modern Art and Alliance Frances de Bangalore). We invite you to
collaborate with our effort by contributing an article on the issues raised
in the concept note below or if you would want to elaborate on your own
point of view if you think that it could fit into the overall perspective
to be published in the souvenir we are bringing out on the occasion. Since
we don’t have much time I would appreciate if you could send your article
latest by 18th March as we need time to edit, design and print the same
before the festival.

On behalf of Bhumika let me take this opportunity to invite you all to this
unique festival.

Georgekutty AL

Editor, Deep Focus Cinema

Bhumika: The Smita Patil Retrospective

Trailblazer. Screen-scorcher. Essayer of powerful roles. Winner of National
Awards besides the Padma Shri for her roles in a decade-long career before
she passed on at the age of 31. Say ‘Smita Patil’ and there is that special
glint in the eye, of those who had the privilege of watching this
powerhouse actor on screen.

In Bhumika, Manthhan, Gaman, Arth, Mirch Masala… movie after movie Smita
breathed magic into every role, herself becoming the character that she
sought to play in the film. Achiever extraordinaire in a shortlived life,
Smita would have been 60 if she were alive today. We a group of
Bangaloreans wish to celebrate her life and cinema, by screening 9 of her
movies across different languages including Marathi, Tamil and Malayalam
besides of course Hindi. All this over three days beginning on the Kannada
Ugadi habba and Maharashtrian Gudi Padwa festival, at the stately NGMA in
Bengaluru.

Renowned director Shyam Benegal who drew out some of the finest aspects of
Smita as an actor, has agreed to open Bhumika, the festival, named after
his own film. Mahesh Bhatt whose Arth brought two of India’s finest
actresses face to face in Arth will be the Guest of Honour.

While the films promise to be a treat for the cine buffs, a collection of
rare photographs shot on Smita as well as those shot by Smita, will be on
display at the venue, NGMA.

Parallelly, at the other venue Alliance Francaise, de Bangalore, launch of
the actor’s biography Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence, will take place
in the presence of the author Maithili Rao. We also wish to use the
community-funded film festival as a pretext to talk about two crucial
issues that Indian cinema faces today. Whither Parallel Cinema?  And
locating women in mainstream Indian cinema.

 It gives us the perfect pretext to hear fresh voices from Bollywood and
the Kannada cinema industry who are acting, directing, scripting, producing
and collaborating on some sparkling work on what their take on these issues
are. That would be our tribute to what Smita so rarely epitomised; parallel
cinema and the emergence on screen of an electrifying persona that
redefined womanhood in Indian cinema.

*Whither Parallel Cinema?*

In the 70, and 80’s Indian film audiences were treated to a new flavor of
cinema. Unassuming faces brought to life stories of those living in the
margins to the centre screen. Women centric movies, subtle humour, ghazals,
political, social commentary found space in these story lines. The best
part of the so called parallel cinema was that it had a dedicated
following-not just of the best actors and directors, but also cinema halls
and audiences that found alliances that cut across language barriers and
regions.

The Parallel cinema  that Smita Patil was intrinsic to, will be the prism
through which we would examine the  position of cinema. Has the change in
the viewing culture from large cinema houses to multiplex cinemas changed
the game?

Have smaller but films with heart and soul like Vicky Donor, Piku,  Masaan,
Angry Indian Goddess etc blurred the lines between Popular and Parallel,
Art & mainstream?

Is there such a thing called Parallel Cinema today or has it outlived its
purpose?  Or has it been recast in the context of current political and
economic realities?

*Locating Women in India Cinema*

Through the roles that she breathed life into, largely in parallel cinema,
Smita Patil emerged in her times as the face of a woman of substance who
drew her vitality and vulnerability from the diverse cultures of India. How
much did this impact on the industry as a whole, which was and continues to
be male dominated, in terms of recasting the “Indian woman” in Hindi and
other regional cinema? What legacy did Smita the actor leave behind for the
coming generations of younger actresses?

Have women like Smita Patil been able to impact also on the presence of
women within the industry at different levels and in different
capacities…technical and creative?

These questions and more will be at the core of this panel that would seek
to evaluate/reflect on the location of women in Indian cinema and the film
industry.