Shabana Azmi

Born: 18 September, 1950 in New Delhi, India

Biography: Daughter of the noteworthy Indian poet Kaifi Azmi and stage actress Shaukat Azmi, Shabana Azmi has proved to be a powerhouse of talent. She has worked in over a 100 films and has made some wonderful contributions to Indian cinema. With a forte for intense roles, Shabana has proved her mettle in both art films as well as mainstream cinema.

She graduated in Psychology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Subsequently, she completed an acting course from Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and topped the list of successful candidates in 1972. Her first release was Shyam Benegal’s Ankur which won the National Award. But her first debut as an actress was essentially to be in Khwaaja Ahmed Abass’ Faasla released in 1974.

She has always inspired awe through her performances. A winner of National Film Award for Best Actress for an overwhelming 5 times for her performances in Artha, Godmother, Ankur, Khandhar and Paar speaks of her extraordinary talent. She has also won many Filmfare Awards for films like Swami and Bhavna. She has also been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Filmfare.

Shabana Azmi has also performed in some Hollywood films like Madame Sousatzka and City of Joy and has received recognition in the international arena. Today she has come to be known for her flawless performances which surely set her in a league apart from the ordinary actors. Of late she has acted in Deepa Mehta’s films ‘Fire’ and ‘Water’ which invited immense controversies.

Apart from films, she has also been a social activist. She supports AIDS Campaigns and had once undertaken a March from New Delhi to Meerut for communal harmony. She is known to speak her mind and has done so on issues of slum dwellers, Kashmiri Pandit migrants and on religious extremism.

AKA & Alternative Spellings: Shabana Ajmi