Shabana Azmi's Dual Film Release: A Journey Through Partition and Antagonism

A Remarkable Day for Shabana Azmi

Renowned actress Shabana Azmi is gearing up for a unique cinematic experience as she features in two films debuting on August 14. Audiences will witness her performances in Rajkumar Santoshi's "Bantwara 1947" and Nitin Kakkar's "Awarapan 2." In the former, she takes on a pivotal role in a partition-themed narrative, while in the latter, she steps into the shoes of a villain. At the age of 75, Azmi expresses her appreciation for the varied roles that continue to come her way.

Commenting on the coinciding release of her films, Azmi remarked that being presented with such diverse characters at this point in her career feels like a stroke of luck. She reminisced about a time over forty years ago when she had multiple films launching in close succession, including titles like "Avatar," "Masoom," "Kamyab," and "Yeh Nazdeekiyan," all of which premiered within a two-week span. Back then, it was common for actors to juggle several projects at once, often working double shifts in a single day, which she described as a norm.

Azmi also reflected on the rigorous demands of the film industry during that period, recalling how actors would spend extensive hours traveling between sets and had to emotionally prepare for scenes with minimal time. She humorously shared a memory of a legendary actor who jokingly called her and his younger brother, Shashi Kapoor, "Taxi" due to the long hours he spent in his vehicle while managing multiple shifts. Looking back, she wonders if younger actors can truly comprehend the lack of basic amenities and the swift preparation required for their performances.

In "Awarapan 2," Azmi plays Nafiza, the antagonist opposite Emraan Hashmi, Disha Patani, Suvinder Vicky, and Aniruddh Ravl. Rather than opting for a loud and aggressive portrayal, she has chosen a more nuanced approach, describing her performance as indulgent rather than explosive. This film also marks her reunion with the Vishesh Films banner, a collaboration that dates back to the 1982 film "Arth." On the other hand, "Bantwara 1947" presents her with another significant role, where she shares the screen with Sunny Deol for the first time, three years after her collaboration with his father, Dharmendra, in "Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani." In this film, Azmi portrays an elderly Hindu woman who refuses to abandon her ancestral home in Lahore post-partition, a narrative inspired by Ajgar Wajahat's play "Jis Lahore Nahin Dekhya." She describes her character as a quintessential mother—earthy, nurturing, strong, yet vulnerable. Azmi emphasizes that the partition remains one of history's most traumatic events, creating a silence that makes it challenging for younger generations to fully understand the enormity of what occurred.