No discussion of meaningful Indian cinema is possible without Smita Patil. She was possibly the first feminist actor on the Indian screen. In a career spanning just over a decade, Patil is unparalleled in the films she did and the roles she breathed life into. Immensely talented and intense, the women she portrayed on celluloid were as real as they were feisty.

While it’s virtually impossible to choose her best films, here’s taking a look at some of the unforgettable characters she created on-screen on her death anniversary.