Shabana Azmi: Hindi cinema used to operate in an alternative reality

The masterclass with veteran actress Shabana Azmi moderated by Vidya Balan , at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 , left the audience inspired. The two acclaimed actresses shared their journeys, offering insightful perspectives on the craft of acting, the evolving landscape of Indian cinema, and the key to staying relevant.

‘Theatre isn’t my first medium, I find it incredibly challenging’

During their conversation about the diverse mediums in today’s entertainment landscape, Vidya asked Shabana about her love for theatre, given her unforgettable performances in plays like Tumhari Amrita and Broken Images . “I still see myself as a film actor,” Shabana responded, elaborating, “I’m trained in cinema and understand the medium much better. However, I believe the ideal situation for an actor is to work in both mediums.”

Shabana said, “While theatre isn’t my first medium, I find it incredibly challenging. The thrill of performing live on stage is unmatched. However, I wouldn’t say it’s the most satisfying because a film performance lasts forever, whereas theatre is ephemeral.”

Vidya added, “I’ve been offered a few plays, but I haven’t had the courage to say yes. The idea of performing in front of a live audience is extremely intimidating.”

‘Hindi cinema used to operate in an alternative reality’
Vidya brought up the fact that Shabana has starred in a diverse range of films, from arthouse cinema to mainstream escapist hits. When asked about the contrasting impact and reception of her vast body of work, she replied, “I just have a ball. I surrender myself to the director. For example, if I were to ask someone like Manmohan Desai, ‘What does this mean?’ He’d reply, ‘ Iska kuchh matlab nahi hai. Main bol raha hoon yeh hai iska matlab. Yeh

Satyajit Ray ki picture nahi hai’(laughs!). And you are happy to surrender to someone who directs with such conviction.”

‘The lack of attention to detail in mainstream cinema drove me crazy’
Elaborating on her experience of working in mainstream and offbeat cinema, she said, “It’s actually easier for actors to perform in arthouse cinema because it is realistic. Hindi cinema used to operate in an alternative reality; it didn’t matter if you were playing a policeman or a businessman – their homes looked no different from one another. The lack of attention to detail drove me crazy. It was left to art films to capture those finer nuances. I feel there was a design behind it though – Hindi cinema aimed to cater to the lowest common denominator and wanted to be all India. This focus on mass appeal made it more challenging to create credibility in such a stereotypical world.”

I really enjoyed working on Rocky Aur Rani... In the very first scene, I had my hair down on one side, wearing a silk sari while cooking macchi curry. I asked Karan (Johar), ‘Which Bengali woman cooks in a silk sari with her hair open?’ He said, ‘In a Karan Johar film, she does, just go with it’. I’m glad I trusted his vision because it turned out beautifully – Shabana Azmi

‘I lament the loss of songs & lip-syncing in our films’
Shabana expressed her disappointment over the decline of lip-synced songs in Hindi cinema, saying, “I lament the loss of songs being sung in sync because, in Hindi films, we tell our stories through songs. These songs were like little philosophies that captured life’s moments. We had a song for every situation, creating a nostalgic connection. However, in the effort to be modern, we’re replacing the song with something no one is paying attention to.”

Vidya agreed, adding, “I absolutely miss lip-syncing to songs; they have now been relegated to the background. I also feel that the urge to be universal is robbing the Hindi film industry of its unique essence.”

If marrying Javed Akhtar would make me Shabana Azmi, I would marry him – Vidya Balan

‘Actors who start playing meaningful roles have a longer career span’

When asked how she has managed to stay relevant over the decades, Shabana shared, “I’ve never been someone to rest on past achievements because I constantly seek new challenges. So, staying relevant is important to me. Even after 50 years, I am still learning. I adapt to changes, like working with green screens (chroma) where I react to nothing.”

On the topic of ageing and the kind of roles that women get offered, Shabana concluded, “Ageing has never been a problem for me, I embrace it as a natural part of life. I don’t try to look younger than I am because there’s nothing more beautiful than ageing gracefully. Even in my 30s, I wasn’t doing only naachne-gaane ke

roles; I was playing substantial characters. Actors who start playing meaningful roles have a longer career span. There’s always more space for characters than just leading men and women.”



‘My entire family supported my decision to do Fire’
When I was working with women living in slums, I was concerned that if I accepted the role (in Fire), it could be used against me, making it difficult for those women to continue working with me. Zoya (Akhtar), who was only 18 then, asked, ‘If you like the script, what’s the big deal?’ Farhan, even younger, liked the script but was concerned about the ending — my character was meant to die in the fire. He argued it would suggest the character did something wrong, insisting she needed to survive. I shared his feedback with Deepa (Mehta). Ultimately, my entire family supported my decision