Jackie Shroff calls Simi Garewal 'Diva' on 79th birthday, honours Smita Patil on 71st birth anniversary
Synopsis
Jackie Shroff used one Instagram session to honour two very different eras of Hindi cinema — remembering the late Smita Patil on what would have been her 71st birthday and calling Simi Garewal a 'Diva' on her 79th. It is a rare moment that bridges parallel cinema's golden age with mainstream Bollywood nostalgia.
Key Takeaways
Jackie Shroff paid tribute to the late Smita Patil on her 71st birth anniversary — 17 October 1955 to 13 December 1986 .
He remembered Patil as his co-star from the film Dahleez , directed by Ravi Chopra .
Shroff also wished Simi Garewal on her 79th birthday , calling her 'Diva Always'.
Garewal is known for films including Karz , Mera Naam Joker , and the talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal .
Jackie Shroff's upcoming film Welcome To The Jungle , directed by Ahmed Khan , features a massive ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar , Sanjay Dutt , and Suniel Shetty .
Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff took to social media on 17 October to celebrate two veteran actresses — wishing Simi Garewal on her 79th birthday and paying heartfelt tribute to the late Smita Patil on her 71st birth anniversary. Both moments resonated widely among fans of classic Hindi cinema.
Tribute to Smita Patil
Jackie Shroff posted on Instagram, writing: 'Smita Patil Ji, always in our hearts (17th Oct 1955-13 Dec 1986).' The tribute recalled his association with Patil through the film Dahleez, directed by Ravi Chopra and loosely based on the Hollywood film Hanover Street. The film featured Jackie Shroff, Raj Babbar, and Meenakshi Sheshadri in lead roles, with Smita Patil, Aruna Irani, Zarina Wahab, and Shafi Inamdar in supporting parts.
Smita Patil, widely regarded as one of Indian parallel cinema's most luminous talents, passed away on 13 December 1986 from childbirth complications at the age of 31. Her son Prateik was subsequently raised by her parents in Mumbai. Her final screen appearance was in Galiyon Ka Badshah.
Birthday Wishes for Simi Garewal
Jackie followed up his tribute with a warm birthday post for Simi Garewal, captioning it simply: 'Diva Always! Happy Birthday.' Garewal, who turned 79 on Saturday, is celebrated for a career spanning decades across Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi cinema. Shroff also paired the post with the iconic song Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha from the 1980 film Karz — Subhash Ghai's fantasy psychological thriller — in which Garewal played the memorable role of Kamini Verma, the film's antagonist, opposite Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munim.
A Glance at Simi Garewal's Legacy
Born in Ludhiana, Simi Garewal built an eclectic filmography that included Hindi films such as Do Badan, Saathi, Mera Naam Joker, and Siddhartha, along with the Punjabi film Udeekaan. She also appeared in Bengali art-house classics — Aranyer Din Ratri directed by Satyajit Ray and Padatik by Mrinal Sen — cementing her reputation far beyond mainstream Bollywood. Off-screen, she is equally remembered for hosting the celebrated celebrity talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.
What Jackie Shroff Is Up To
On the work front, Jackie Shroff is currently part of director Ahmed Khan's ensemble comedy Welcome To The Jungle. The film boasts one of Hindi cinema's largest recent casts, including Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Disha Patani, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Shreyas Talpade, Aftab Shivdasani, Mika Singh, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Tusshar Kapoor, and others. The film is loosely inspired by both the 2005 American film The Producers and the 2008 film Tropic Thunder, and marks the ninth on-screen collaboration between Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal — their first reunion in nearly 17 years since Priyadarshan's De Dana Dan.
Point of View
While Simi Garewal's longevity across art-house and mainstream cinema is routinely underappreciated. Celebrity birthday posts rarely travel far, but when they invoke parallel cinema's icons, they briefly reconnect younger audiences with a more adventurous era of Indian filmmaking. The real story here is less about Jackie Shroff and more about the enduring cultural weight of both women he chose to celebrate.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 17 October significant for Smita Patil?
17 October is Smita Patil's birth anniversary — she was born on 17 October 1955. She passed away on 13 December 1986 at the age of 31 due to childbirth complications, and her birth anniversary is regularly observed by admirers and co-stars from Indian cinema.
How old is Simi Garewal in 2026 and what is she known for?
Simi Garewal turned 79 on 17 October 2026. She is known for her roles in Hindi films such as Mera Naam Joker, Karz, and Siddhartha, Bengali classics directed by Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, and for hosting the celebrity talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.
What is the film Dahleez that connected Jackie Shroff and Smita Patil?
Dahleez was a Bollywood film directed by Ravi Chopra, based on the Hollywood film Hanover Street. It starred Jackie Shroff, Raj Babbar, and Meenakshi Sheshadri in lead roles, with Smita Patil, Aruna Irani, Zarina Wahab, and Shafi Inamdar in supporting parts.
What is Jackie Shroff's upcoming film Welcome To The Jungle about?
Welcome To The Jungle is an ensemble comedy directed by Ahmed Khan, loosely inspired by the 2005 film The Producers and the 2008 film Tropic Thunder. It features a large cast including Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, and many others, and marks the ninth collaboration between Kumar, Shetty, and Rawal — their first in nearly 17 years.
What was Smita Patil's last film?
Smita Patil's last work was the film Galiyon Ka Badshah, according to available reports. She passed away on 13 December 1986 at the age of 31 from complications related to childbirth, leaving behind a celebrated body of work in Indian parallel and mainstream cinema.
