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Shabana Azmi: Two Films, One Day, 40 Years Apart
13 Aug
Summary
- Two of Shabana Azmi's films release on the same day.
- Azmi recalls four of her films released within two weeks in 1983.
- She highlights the demanding work conditions of past Bollywood actors.
Veteran actress Shabana Azmi is experiencing a notable moment in her career with two films, "Batwara 1947" and "Awarapan 2," scheduled for theatrical release on August 14. This simultaneous release is unusual for Azmi, highlighting the diverse roles she continues to be offered at 75 years old.
She recalled a similar situation in the September-October period of 1983, when four of her films, "Avtaar," "Masoom," "Kaamyab," and "Yeh Nazdeekiyan," were released within a fortnight. Azmi attributed this to actors working in 8-10 films concurrently, often working double shifts daily.
Azmi also reminisced about the demanding conditions actors faced in earlier times, including lack of basic facilities and the pressure of memorizing extensive dialogue with minimal time for emotional preparation. She is playing a primary character in "Batwara 1947" and a special appearance as the antagonist Nafisa in "Awarapan 2."
In "Batwara 1947," directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Azmi portrays Mai, a character described as Mother Earth. The film, an adaptation of a play, centers on an elderly Hindu woman's refusal to leave her ancestral Lahore home during Partition. She also stars opposite Sunny Deol for the first time in this film.
