Shabana Azmi birthday: 10 cinematic gems from veteran actor's career
A five-time National film award-winner, Azmi stood out in the industry from the very beginning of her career, portraying emotionally layered and complex female characters at a time when women were mostly cast in decorative roles in the movies.
Shabana Azmi
NEW DELHI: Actor Shabana Azmi, who turns 75 on Thursday, has delivered some of the most memorable films in her career of over 50 years where she dabbled in both commercial and parallel cinema.
A five-time National film award-winner, Azmi stood out in the industry from the very beginning of her career, portraying emotionally layered and complex female characters at a time when women were mostly cast in decorative roles in the movies.
Here is a look at ten of the most important films from her vast filmography:
Ankur: The 1974 film marked both Shyam Benegal and Azmi's debut as a director and actor. Azmi features as Lakshmi, a Dalit woman who is married to Kishtayya, a deaf-mute alcoholic potter. Her desire is to have a child of her own but obstacles are created when the couple are hired by Surya, the son of the village landlord. The film, praised for exploring human relationships in the rural setting, the caste-class conflict and feudalism, won her the National Film Award for best actress.
Arth: The 1982 film by Mahesh Bhatt featured Azmi in the role of Pooja Malhotra who is devastated when her husband leaves her for another woman. Pooja's search for meaning solidified her as a strong woman in the Indian cinema space. For her performance, Azmi received her second National Award for best actress.
Mandi: The 1983 film, once again directed by Benegal, was set around the lives of the women in a brothel. It featured Azmi as Rukmini, the strict but kind-hearted madame of the brothel. Their livelihood is threatened when a politician tries to remove them to develop the area as a prime location. It also starred Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah in pivotal roles.
Masoom: This 1983 film was directed by Shekhar Kapur and featured Azmi and Shah as a husband and wife, whose harmonious marriage is rocked when she learns that he had an affair and has a child. The couple tries to navigate the shifting dynamics in their relationship and family when Shah's son comes to live with them. The film is still remembered for its mature portrayal of a marriage.
Khandhar: Based on Premendra Mitra's Bengali short story Telenapota Abishka, the 1984 film was directed by Mrinal Sen. The film followed Azmi's Jamini, a lonely young woman who lives with her mother who awaits the arrival of a distant cousin to marry her daughter.
Three friends from the city visit the ruins and one of them, a photographer, pretends to be Jamini's suitor. The film won Azmi her third National Award for best actress.
Paar: For her performance as Rama in the 1984 film, directed by Goutam Ghose, Azmi bagged her career's fourth National award for best actress.
The film follows Naurangia, played by Naseeruddin Shah, and his pregnant wife Rama, a marginalised couple, who become fugitives when Naurangia murder his landlord's brother.
Fire: The 1996 Indo-Canadian film by Deepa Mehta was the first in her elements trilogy. One of the first mainstream films to showcase same-sex romance, the movie centred around two women, Azmi's Radha and Sita, played by Nandita Das. They find love in each other after being neglected by their husbands. The film had courted a huge controversy at the time of its release, leading to protests in various parts of the country.
Godmother: The 1999 Hindi biographical drama film, directed by Vinay Shukla, featured Azmi as Rambhi and was inspired by Santokben Jadeja, who ran the Mafia operations in Gujarat in the late 1980s and early 1990s and later emerged as a politician. The film won Azmi her fifth National Award for best actress.
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.: The 2007 film which marked the beginning of filmmaker Reema Kagti's career, showcased stories of various couples on their honeymoon. It featured Azmi as Naheed alongside Boman Irani's Oscar Fernandes. The couple navigates the stigma associated with finding love at an old age.
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani: In the 2023 film, which marked Karan Johar's return to directing after "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", Azmi played the role of Jamini Chatterjee, the grandmother to Alia Bhatt's Rani. Her and Dharmendra's characters, who were lovers in the past, serve as a catalyst for the progression of Rocky and Rani's love story.
