EXCLUSIVE: Shabana Azmi – “I have never planned my future”

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi turns a year older today and speaks about life, cinema and more! 

Your first birthday during a lockdown. What are the plans?
To do nothing at all. That will be a new experience.

You’ve achieved more than any actor that I know of. Any unfulfilled dreams?
Contrary to what some believe about me, I have never planned my future. I’ve said this before. I think I’ve been lucky to be at the right place at the right time and so my life and career have taken a trajectory as the flow goes.

So nothing more to achieve?
I do hope that this is not the end of the road for me and that greater challenges await me. Barbara Streisand’s lines are my favourite, “Ask what I want and I will sing I want more of everything , everything !”

There was a time when there were no meaty roles for actors beyond a certain age. Is that changing?
Yes, it has changed to a considerable degree. Weighty roles continue to come my way, touchwood. The ecosystem has changed. The heavy dependence on young stars to carry a film on their own shoulders has lessened. Inevitably, these stories are padded up with senior actors in important roles.

Don’t you think the OTT platforms have opened up a whole new vista for talented actors?
The OTT platforms have made us realize that content is King. Catering to the lowest common denominator is no longer the raison d’etre for making films. The film industry has finally realised that there is an audience for all kinds of content.

Do you think the star system is ending in Bollywood?
It’s the marketing that needs to be pushed more for the film without stars. The opposite has been true. Films with big budgets have enormous marketing budgets. The smaller film finds little visibilityand is handicapped because of it. But, if we wish to push the bar and become relevant in the world we will have to remember that it is Chaitanya Tamhane’s The Disciple that wins the best screenplay award at Venice!

Who among the contemporary actresses do you find interesting?
Tabu,Vidya Balan, Alia Bhatt are very good actors. Vidya also has a beautifully modulated voice. I find today’s generation invests their time in getting the perfect body which is as it should be but needs to pay greater attention to voice modulation. And please can someone teach them to place the nukhtas in the right places?!!! Bewakoof is not bewakoof, khoobsurat, khushboo, khayal have nukhtas, it is mizaaj not mijaaz, etc etc.

Your brother recently turned director. What about you?
Jaane do na ! Bahut mehnat hai usmein ..So much easier being an actor!!

Your message to the nation on your special day?
Kaifi Saab ka ek gaana that he wrote for IPTA (Indian People’s Theatre Association):

“Todna apna kaam nahi hai

Hum hain dilon ko jodnewale

Kya Hindu aur kya Muslim

Kaise gore kaise Kaale

Ek hi mala ke sab daane.”

Also Read: Shabana Azmi on life in lockdown with Javed Akhtar – “He spends entire day binge watching OTT shows”

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