Deepti Naval shares rare 1981 Magazine cover featuring Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil

Acclaimed veteran actress Deepti Naval shared a throwback magazine cover featuring herself alongside renowned star Shabana Azmi and the late Smita Patil.

Deepti took to Instagram, where she shared a magazine cover from 1981, which featured her alongside the two actresses. Talking about the same, Deepti fondly described it as the "year of the women," celebrating an era in Indian cinema when powerful female performers were redefining storytelling.

"1981 - The Year of the Woman!" she wrote as the caption.

The three actresses were the formidable force forming the "parallel cinema" movement in the 1970s and 1980s. Together, they went beyond breaking barriers of traditional, "damsel in distress" formula and replaced it with nuanced characters.

Deepti made her debut in 1978 with Shyam Benegal's film Junoon and was then seen playing a lead role in the film Ek Baar Phir in 1980. She became an actress in 1980s Parallel cinema, playing roles in films like Kamla and Ankahee.

Starting with Chashme Buddoor in 1981, she was often cast with Farooq Sheikhand they became an iconic on-screen couple of the early 1980s, with films such as Chashme Buddoor, Saath Saath, Kissi Se Na Kehna, Katha, Rang Birangi and Faasle.

She hit the brakes in the 1990s and came back in the 2000s with social dramas like Bawandar and Firaaq, Leela, Memories in March and Listen... Amaya.

Deepti was most recently seen in Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders in 2025. The crime thriller film directed by Honey Trehan. The film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Chitrangada Singh with Radhika Apte making a special appearance.

The actress in March took a walk down memory lane, sharing a nostalgic throwback moment on social media.

Deepti took to Instagram, where she shared a few sepia-toned photographs in a camera reel format. In the image, the award-winning actress is seen seated indoors, holding a camera, exuding a calm and introspective presence.

The actress posted a photograph capturing a reflective mood, accompanied by a simple caption: "Another time . . ."