"Smita Patil would say Suhagan ki tarah mujhe leke jana", makeup artist Deepak reveals how he did her last makeup on funeral

"Smita Patil would say Suhagan ki tarah mujhe leke jana", makeup artist Deepak reveals how he did her last makeup on funeral

Smita Patil remains one of Indian cinema’s most unforgettable talents, a woman whose craft, courage, and conviction reshaped how female characters were seen on screen. Known for films like Bhumika, Manthan, and Arth, she embodied strength and sensitivity with equal power. Beyond her performances, Smita’s life itself carried an aura of intensity, passionate, fearless, and deeply human. Even in death, she left behind a story that speaks of love, identity, and dignity.

In a recent interview on the YouTube channel Reel Meets Real, veteran makeup artist Deepak Sawant, who shared a long professional bond with Smita, opened up about her final wish and the deeply emotional events that followed her passing.

“Smita Patil used to say mujhe suhagan banake leke jana. I used to scold her to not say things like this. She used to say this even to her mother, who would also scold her,” recalled Sawant.

Smita’s death in December 1986, just days after giving birth to her son Prateik Babbar, remains one of the film industry’s most heartbreaking moments. She was only 31.

According to Deepak Sawant, the family faced a delay in performing her final rites because Smita’s sister was traveling from Chicago. “After she died, her sister was coming from Chicago, and she took two to three days to come. During this time, her body was kept on ice, and it had swollen,” he revealed.

During those two days, Smita’s body was kept preserved on ice while loved ones gathered. Her family wanted to honour her wish — a detail that still moves everyone who hears it. Sawant described the poignant moment when Smita’s mother handed him a make-up kit for her final appearance.

“Her mother gave me a make-up kit, and Amitabh Bachchan and other people were sitting there. She gave me the make-up kit in front of them and told me that it was her wish to go as a suhagan. I started crying, and I did her make-up while I was tearing up. I did her last make-up and I made her look very beautiful on her last day,” Sawant said.

For Sawant, it wasn’t just a professional duty but a sacred act — fulfilling a friend’s final promise. The detail that Amitabh Bachchan and other film fraternity members were present during that moment adds emotional gravity. Smita’s last wish — to appear as a married woman — became a powerful reflection of her inner world: a woman who balanced art, love, and identity with immense honesty.

At the time of her death, Smita was married to actor Raj Babbar, a relationship that had stirred intense media attention. Raj had left his first wife, Nadira, to be with Smita — a choice that made their bond both celebrated and controversial. After her passing, Raj eventually returned to his former partner, while Prateik was raised by Smita’s side of the family.

Raj Babbar has often spoken about the emotional void her death left in his life. In an earlier interview with Rediff, he recounted their last journey together:

“Throughout the journey from home to hospital, she kept apologising, and I told her that everything would be okay. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. Her look said it all. The doctor came out after an hour and said she had gone into a coma,” he shared.

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Reflecting on her memory, Raj added, “I was part of her, and she was part of me. It is natural that you miss a person who was your heart and soul throughout your life, no matter how brave you may say you are. She and her memories will continue to be part of me till my last day.”

Smita Patil’s legacy continues not only through her timeless performances but through the love and stories shared by those who knew her. Her wish to be remembered “as a suhagan” was honored in the most tender way — a poetic final act that captured how she viewed life, love, and womanhood.

She passed away on December 13, 1986, but nearly four decades later, Smita Patil remains a symbol of integrity, artistry, and emotional truth — a woman who, even in her last moments, knew exactly how she wanted to be remembered.