Telangana based actor Shabana Azmi, best known for her work in Indian film industry has starred in over 120 films in Hindi and Bengali. Some of her famous works include Amar Akbar Anthony, Neerja and Arth. She has received five National Film Awards, and holds a record for the same. The esteemed actress has been honored with ‘Women in cinema’ at the 30th International Film Festival. Here is Radio City’s guide to some of her most all-time favorite films.
1. Ankur- The feature film ‘Ankur’ stars Shabana Azmi and Ananth Nag. Directed by Shyam Benegal, the film was Shabana Azmi’s debut into Bollywood. 'Ankur' bagged three National Film Awards along with 43 other laurels in both India and abroad. The film talks about social issues like dowry and casteism.
2. Godmother- Written and directed by Vinay Shukla, the film also stars Milind Gunaji and Nirmal Pandey. 'Godmother' has the perfect feminist message and Rambhi played by Azmi is a powerfully aggressive woman despite not having received any formal education.
3. Paar- Starring Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri, the film is based on a popular Bengali story. Besides fetching the National Film Award for Azmi as Best Actress, Shah was awarded the prestigious Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival.
4. Khandhar- Directed by Mrinal Sen, 'Khandhar' is based on a short Bengali story. The film also stars Pankaj Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah. The film was screened in France at the Cannes Film festival in 1984.
5. Arth- With Azmi and Kulbhushan Kharbanda in the lead roles, the film was also remade in Tamil as 'Marupadiyum'. Written and directed by Mahesh Bhatt, the film was a semi-autobiographical account based on Bhatt’s personal life.