Veteran Bollywood actors Amrish Puri and Smita Patil starred together in the 1977 melodrama film, ‘Bhumika’. Directed by Shyam Benegal, the film remains one of the most memorable classics. Let’s take a look at an interesting story from the making of the movie.
During his appearance on the popular talk show ‘Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai’, the late Amrish Puri once revealed that he had actually slapped Smita Patil during the shooting of a scene without informing her beforehand.
Why Did Amrish Puri Do It?
Recalling the scene, Amrish Puri explained that his character was stopping Smita Patil’s character from leaving the house. During the argument, he was supposed to slap her.
“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 said.
Before filming the sequence, Amrish Puri discussed the idea with director Shyam Benegal. He asked, “Sir, what if I actually slap her?”
Smita Patil’s Genuine Reaction
Since Smita Patil was unaware of the plan, the slap came as a complete surprise during filming. Her reaction was completely natural and was captured live on camera.
“That reaction has to be seen in the film. That is a natural reaction,” Amrish Puri had said. The moment added realism to the scene and became one of the memorable parts of the film. Smita Patil was widely praised for her powerful performance throughout ‘Bhumika’.
About ‘Bhumika’
‘Bhumika’ also featured Smita Patil, Amol Palekar, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah and Amrish Puri in important roles.
The film was based on the memoir Sangtye Aika, written by actress Hansa Wadkar. The movie received widespread recognition and won two National Film Awards.
Interestingly, Amrish Puri and Smita Patil shared screen space in 16 films together. Their first film together was ‘Nishaant’ in 1975, while their final collaboration was ‘Waarish’ in 1988.
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