What are some rare photos of the Godmother actor "Shavana Azmi"?

 

Actor Shabana Azmi is celebrating her 70th birthday today. On the occasion of Shabana's special day, here are some rare photos from the actor's 46-year long journey in the movies.

Shabana Azmi earned a National Film Award for her debut film, Shyam Benegal's Ankur.

Over the course of her career, Shabana Azmi has won five National Film Awards for Ankur, Arth, Khandhar, Paar and Godmother.

Some of Shabana Azmi's best-known films include Swami, Arth, Bhavna, Fire, Makdee, Tehzeeb and Neerja among others.

While Shabana Azmi has been a part of the parallel cinema movement since her early days, she has also been quite active in commercial cinema with films like Amar Akbar Anthony and Parvarish among others.

Shabana Azmi married writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar in 1984. She is the daughter of poet Kaifi Azmi.

Shabana Azmi was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1988.

Shabana Azmi will next be seen in Sheer Qorma, which also stars Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta.

Why did director Manmohan Desai create the role of Shabana Azmi in the blockbuster film Amar Akbar Anthony, in spite of not having that idea?

 Initially there was no female lead opposite Vinod Khanna in Amar Akbar Anthony.

Vinod Khanna felt that it was unfair as Amitabh and Rishi Kapoor had heroines and insisted Manmohan Desai for the same.

Desai was simultaneously shooting for his film Parvarish with the same starcast (Amitabh, Vinod Khanna, Neetu Singh, Shabana Azmi).

He went to Shabana and offered her Amar Akbar Anthony. He also said that he had no role for her but if she will not do the film he would be pestered by Vinod Khanna. It was so typical of Desai that he spoke just as it was and that's what endeared Shabana to do the film.

Further, Desai quickly created a small role for Shabana Azmi. The unit shot both the films concurrently moving between sets. At times the actors used to just change clothes and keep going from one set to another.

Desai utilised different floors of the same studio managing complex shoots for both the films at the same time. This showcases his legandary ability to manage multiple blockbusters at one time.

Image(s) Courtesy: Google