Shabana Azmi is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre.
Regarded as one of the finest actresses in India, Shabana Azmi’s performances in films in a variety of genres have generally earned her praise and awards, which include a record of five wins of the National Film Award for Best Actress, and several international honours.
Shabana Azmi’s acting has been characterised by a real-life depiction of the roles played by her. She has completed many decades in the industry and is still as refreshing as ever.
She completed a graduate degree in Psychology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and followed it with a course in acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. She explained the reason she decided to attend the film institute, saying: “I had the privilege of watching Jaya Bhaduri in a (Diploma) film, Suman, and I was completely enchanted by her performance. My god, if by going to the Film Institute I can achieve that, that’s what I want to do.”
Pointing out the differences in all these media, she once remarked that theatre was really the actor’s medium; the stage was the actor’s space; cinema was the director’s medium; and television was a writer’s medium.
Shabana Azmi’s story is really inspiring.