Smita, I shared lot of things, but couldn’t be friends:Shabana

Actor Shabana Azmi has said that she “regrets” not being able to turn her association with her contemporary and ‘rival’ Smita Patil into friendship, despite efforts of reconciliation.

She was speaking last evening at the launch of Maithili Rao’s book ‘Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence’ here, coinciding with the late noted actress’ 60th anniversary.

Shabana, who alongwith Smita became the face of ‘new wave cinema’ of the 1970s, said, “Smita and I could never be friends. The rivalry between us, some of it manufactured by the media and some of it real, caused tension.”I have said it before...and I do it today...that I have been guilty about making uncharitable remarks about her. I regret it. There were efforts of reconciliation and we were able to maintain civility, but we were never able to turn into friendship. But at no point it had spilled over to our families,” she added.