

She burned bright for just 16 years. This 16-minute film asks: what did we lose?
This biographical film is a tribute to a pioneering actress Smita Patil through her works a tribute to the parallel cinema. Her realistic dignified portrayals of the emerging women's movement in India creating a space for women on screen and role models for them off-screen.
Editing
Juxtaposing her fire with voices still mourning her.
Production
Rare footage from India's parallel cinema golden age.
Direction
Mhatre lets silence do the heavy lifting.
Director
Bhupendra Mhatre
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Smita Patil made over 80 films in 16 years, including 14 in her final year alive. The woman simply did not sleep.
Her death sparked debates about maternity healthcare in India that continue today — this 2001 doc arrived when her son Prateik was entering the industry himself.