When it comes to Smita Patel, she has left a lasting impression on everyone who knew her, be it her film colleagues or fans. You have carved a special place in countless hearts. In an old interview, her close friend and director Aruna Raje, who was privy to the actress’s private world, revealed lesser-known aspects of her life in an exclusive conversation with ETimes.
Aruna Raje remembers the dark night Smita Patel died
The director not only shared anecdotes from Smita’s career journey but also spoke about her character, a person who was fun-loving but completely no-nonsense. Aruna Raje also recalled the heartbreaking night when Smita breathed her last and how she saw her lying in the hospital, knowing that she would never rise again. She said, “It was around 3 am on that fateful December night when a water driver came to my house and told me that Smita was in a critical condition and had been taken to Jaslok Hospital.
My house was only two minutes away from Pedder Road. I quickly went and joined my mother in the hospital. I saw Smita in a state I cannot describe. I knew she had left us forever and nothing would bring her back. My mother was broken, but she had to pull herself together for the sake of newborn Pratik.
Smita Patel’s personal letters
Raji also shared how Smita’s mother entrusted her with some of the actress’s personal letters, which revealed many painful truths.
“After she died, my mother gave me Smita’s letters and notes for safekeeping – to check what was useful and what wasn’t. Later, I handed them over to Smita’s sister Anita. When I looked at them, I realized they were very personal. She was madly in love with Raj, almost to the point of obsession.
She even noticed Raj doing Karwa Chauth vrat, even though she was seven months pregnant and was advised against it,” Raje recalls.The director also revealed the depth of Smita’s love and the emotional turmoil she endured. “Smita fell in love with Raj. She chose to be with him. He did not force himself on her, he courted her relentlessly. Her undoing was to lose herself in love. Love is not only blind, it can also be self-destructive, as in Devdas’ case – it runs its course. It was difficult for Smita because her heart and mind were in conflict.”
She was also very lonely. I was the only person who kept in touch with her, as her friends and family distanced themselves. I became her voice, and she shared the bitter and difficult parts of her life with me.