Shabana Azmi, a luminary of the Indian New Wave of the 1965-1990's, emerged as one of the primary female actors to dominate the films of India's "Parallel Cinema" in the 1970s and 1980s, alongside the late Smita Patil.
Born to a family of notable artists, Shabana is the daughter of renowned Urdu progressive poet and lyricist Kaifi Azmi and theatre actress Shaukat Azmi. Throughout her illustrious career, she has acted in films by some of India's most celebrated art-house directors, including Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Aparna Sen, as well as in commercial and middle-of-the-road Hindi films.
Shabana Azmi has portrayed numerous strong female characters on screen, such as in The Death Sentence: Mrityu Dand (1997) and Godmother (1999). She has also shared the screen with Rajesh Khanna in seven successful films.
Known for her natural and intense performances, Shabana is equally renowned for her tireless advocacy of women's rights, minority rights, and the rights of slum-dwellers, both on and off screen. As a Member of Parliament, she has consistently defended liberal values and the freedom of expression.
In addition to her work in film, Shabana has also garnered critical acclaim for her stage performances, particularly in Tumhari Amrita alongside Farookh Sheikh. She is married to the esteemed scriptwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar.
