Hyderabad: The career of seasoned actress Shabana Azmi has helped close the gap between reality and art. Azmi has received praise from critics and fans alike. The Bollywood actor has never shied away from portraying realistic characters and human desires on the big screen. On her 73rd birthday, here is a look of the actor's bold films in the wake of her much appreciated kiss sequence in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
Arth: Shabana Azmi, who portrayed the female protagonist in the film, won another National Award for Best Actress. The Mahesh Bhatt directorial which is said to be loosely based on his extramarital relationship with Parveen Babi, was released in 1982. Due to the film's immense popularity, Balu Mahendra remade it in Tamil and gave it the name Marupadiyum.
Mandi: Shyam Benegal's Mandi, which translates to "Market Place," is a 1983 Hindi-language movie. The film, which is based on the classic Urdu short story Aanandi by author Ghulam Abbas, tells the tale of a brothel that is located in the centre of a city—an area that some politicians consider to be a prime location. Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, and Naseeruddin Shah appear in this political and satire comedy.
Fire: Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das starrer is an Indo-Canadian erotic romantic drama film, which was written and directed by Deepa Mehta. It is one of the first big Bollywood films to explore a lesbian relationship and clearly depict homosexuality. Following its debut in India in 1998, activists organised a number of rallies, sparking a flurry of public discussion on topics including freedom of expression and homosexuality.
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani: In the movie RARKPK, Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi, who played Ranveer and Alia's grandparents, exchanged a kiss. While Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh also shared a kiss in the family drama, it was Dharmendra and Shabana's kissing sequence that received the most positive feedback from moviegoers. It suddenly became the talk of the town.
However, the renowned actor is not new to this. Azmi has always created a niche for herself with her choice of films. She has even received several foreign awards, five Filmfare Awards, and about five National Film Awards for Best Actress for her significant contributions to the film business.
Also read: 'It's not like strong women don't have any romantic bones': Shabana Azmi on debate over kissing Dharmendra in RRKPK
