A powerhouse and epitome of woman’s rights, social activist and film producer Smita Thackeray was in Dubai and graced the ‘Women in Cinema from the UAE’ event as a chief guest. Working on the sequel of her next film, ‘Haseena Maan Jayegi,’ while being active with her Mukti foundation, she just inaugurated the Mukti Cultural hub in Mumbai and is open to collaborate with relevant cross cultural events. She credits all her success to the Shivsena supremo, the late Balasaheb Thackeray who mentored her and gave her wings to fly and succeed. My interview here.

Manju Ramanan

” I would have worn a saree if I knew you had worn one too,” says Smita Thackeray as she graces  my event ‘Women in Cinema from the UAE,’ as a chief guest. 

When she addressed the audience and spoke of the courage of women film makers and showed her support to them, she announced that she was producing her next film, Haseena Maan Jayegi 2. She has been producing Hindi and Marathi TV serials as well.

The first elected president of IMPPA, she has fond memories of her first tryst with the film industry. “Film maker Shakti Samanta has recommended my name and I was suddenly in the company of the stalwarts of the Hindi film industry – this included Dilip Kumar saab, Saira Sanu jee, Waheeda jee and more. I remember Dilip Saab’s words of praise in his chaste Urdu saying that he has seen me work and that I was not resting on my famous Thackeray surname but worked relentlessly to make the event work. More importantly he said, “Inhone Apna wajood khud kayam kiya hai.” This memory is fresh in my mind from the years 1999-2000.

With Dilip Kumar and Saira Sanu 

I was born to a middle class family in Chembur.  My father worked with Premiere Automobiles and mother worked was a teacher. My father has passed away and my mother still lives with me. As is known, I separated from my husband years ago, but both my in laws were the pillars of my support. And I know that I will work till the end of my life.

My parents always gave us a good education and any skills we wanted to learn. We kept our passions away because education was very important to us. I did my BSc Hons and chose Genetics and though my parents wanted me to pursue my MSc, I started working to support them. My elder sister got married while my younger sister studied in scholarships. I am the middle daughter. 

Growing up I remember ,we had such good neighbors. Since both my parents worked, our neighbors would look after us. They would feed us, keep watch on us and we grew up with them as extended family. Today we would rarely see that. My parents taught us our life skills – making our beds, cooking our food and keeping the house clean. All qualities that are still so useful to me today however luxurious my life maybe. These are assets to my personality always. 

I then started working for MOPEC and handled travel for them. It was a whole new experience, handling passports and ticketing and meeting people from all over the world. I met my husband through common friends and then life changed. I had to leave everything and become a housewife.

Smita Thackeray with late actor and politician Sunil Dutt

I had met my father in law as a girl of 14-15 when there was a Shivsena event in Dadar and I was chosen to present a bouquet to Balasaheb jee. I reminded him years later about this and he obviously didn’t remember. I had worn a saree that day and remember the brief incident to be mesmerizing. 

Both Balasaheb and my mother in law have been a blessing in my life. When my marriage ended, they stood by me because they stood by what was right. Balasaheb was a public man and had to set an example to the world because people would look up to him. Since he was an artist himself being a cartoonist, and a writer, he was also a supporter of music, dance and the performing arts. My brother in law by then had produced Agnisakshi and Sapoot and my son told me that we should do a film too. That is when I produced the films I did.

Shivsena supremo, the late Balasaheb Thackeray

But films were a part of my life as I was growing up too. After we moved from Chembur, we shifted to Mahim where my parental home was next to BR Chopra’s studios. As children we would be curious about the film posters outside the studio and the activity there. One day, Mr B R Chopra saw me and asked me if I would like work in films. I was so thrilled that I went and told my mother about it. She shushed me up and my dad got so angry that he said we would never broach the topic again. Those times weren’t like today when children are so well prepared to face the camera. Whenever I spoke to Jayajee ( Jaya Bachchan), Sairajee ( Saira Banu) or Vyjayantimala jee, they told me how they got into films. It was so unlike today when kids are groomed so well to face the camera and they are so good too. Today’s kids are so well prepared to face the camera. They are another breed. They are okay to do a scene so many times. Like them, everyone needs to know the film industry’s workings and rhythms.

Though I had a disturbed marriage, I had very supportive in laws. The ‘empowered me,’ is  only due to the support from my father in law. He knew I was the educated one and wanted to use my education for larger cause. I was keen to learn even when I wasn’t working or had started my foundation. I never complained and made food for 15 people at one time. I had worked with Centaur Hotel too and would ask chefs for recipes always. My family has foodies and each day I would discuss the menu with my mother in law and we would create an array of dishes.

Saheb used to love fish but later he developed an allergy and moved on to mutton. He was fond of his beer and then shifted to a particular kind of wine. Just being in the same room as him, was passive learning for me. He taught me directly and indirectly. I would quickly finish my cooking and would dress up in a saree and watch him deal with different kinds of people. There were all kinds of situations brought to him and he used to take decisions. 

He knew to stand by his words and would put disrespectful people in place. One always remembers his interview with Karan Thapar. So when I started giving interviews with people like Prabhu Chawla, I was prepared. Even if you are wrong, be confident is what I learnt from him.

Also he didn’t want me to join politics.He knew I was emotional and he told me that never be a politician, the vultures would swoop down on you. In my experience I know that men do look at single women in a particular way and instead of wasting time thwarting their advances, it is important for women to carve her own path and walk towards her own goals.

While talking onstage I don’t speak like a politician. A woman’s confidence can throw them a lot of men balance. I tell every girl who comes to me ask for help or work in Bollywood, to be bold and outspoken. But there is on thing I feel – that our mentality is pretty bad when women bitch about each other. Don’t let it affect you. Rise together. When do you pull another woman down, you are pulling yourself down. A woman has so much capability and when you praise them, give them positive feedback, they flower. But be upfront with them so that they can improve

Smita Thackeray with Intikhab Chogule

For the last International Women’s Day I tied up with a foundation who work with the wives and families of war martyrs. We had got the women together and realized that they are still not getting enough compensation rom the government. I want to find solutions for them. I work closely with people with HIV and have got stars like SRK, legends from the sports world to dance with them and spread awareness and raise funds with events on them. There have been instances when some of the HIV positive members I have worked with  are not there anymore and it hurts deeply but life goes on for those who live. I was pregnant with my second born when I was working with AIDS patients and today I see that my children are all altruistic.

During Covid, my older son and daughter in law, made food, distributed it to the police, the younger son put money in the dabbawalas accounts because they were without work during that period. I feel proud of them. My children are my strength and they taught me so much in life. If I didn’t have kids , I wouldn’t have done so much. Even the bigger decision of my life – of film making and business happened due to my children. 

 

With film maker  Mohan Nadar and Intikhab Chogule in Dubai

I chose to work with HIV – I was the first person to boldly talk of HIV. Whenever I used to meet people and visit people in hospitals and saw that there is a separate ward and people are isolated. I was really curious and started learning about it and  from Dr Gilawda. When I saw the figures of HIV and how it affects the country, I thought we should spread awareness and soon Mukti Foundation was recognised at WHO. I spoke at Cannes at the Nelson Mandela foundation about it too. I designed and conducted a lot of events – with sports stars actors, musicians, industrialists. I made small films on them that included big stars like Mr Amitabh Bachchan and Waheeda Rahman jee. I also had a series where I got HIV infected people to talk on camera. The disease is controlled now and though there is no cure, there is awareness and you can take precautions and lead a normal life.

Mukti Foundation did other things too. I focussed on the need of the hour. I saw. I worked against drug abuse and collaborated with Dr Yusuf, who was doing excellent work in that area. We spoke to street kids who use substance at a tender age and unearthed a nexus. Today the usage of drugs is so common and it is alarming that it is so normalized. At IMPPA I also tackled piracy and raided video parlors that pirated films. I could also do events with film industry people to raise funds for senior actors who didn’t have any savings.

SRK dances with children s at a Mukti Foundation event in Mumbai

There are some precious life lessons I learnt from my eminent father in law – he knew how to handle situations and take decisions. It is most difficult to take decisions in life. He taught me to deal with different kinds of people in the film industry – they are never what they seem. Some are overtly nice but not necessarily so. He taught me to never let others affect me and keep growing at your pace. And more importantly, never give up your sense of self respect. Never ask, try and give and give more – emotionally, physically and monetarily. Saheb was go generous that he kept nothing to himself and whenever he got gifts, they would be distributed to people around him. He always supported the underdog and people in tough situations – that include people like Mr Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt too among many others. 

Smita Thackeray at the Women in Cinema from the UAE event in Dubai where she was the Chief Guest

As a tribute to all that he has taught me, I have created the Mukti Cultural hub in Mumbai and invite all the people to collaborate with me. Dubai is like an extended India and would like to work with you all. There are a lot of things to do together! And we have only started….