‘Bad actors will remain bad actors,’ says Shabana Azmi, stressing looks don’t equal talent; recalls her relief when Om Puri joined a film’s set

While Shabana Azmi firmly believes that training can elevate performances and bring out the best in actors, she acknowledges that no amount of effort can turn a fundamentally bad actor into a good one.

By: Entertainment Desk

Kochi | December 8, 2024 08:07 PM IST

3 min read

While Shabana Azmi firmly believes that training can elevate performances and bring out the best in actors, she also acknowledges that no amount of effort can turn a fundamentally bad actor into a good one.

Actors Shabana Azmi and Om Puri in the film Susman. (Express archive photo)

In an industry teeming with stars and countless artistes, making a lasting impression is no small achievement and hence, building an enduring and unmatched legacy is an even bigger task. Yet, actor Shabana Azmi has accomplished exactly that, solidifying herself as a paragon of acting excellence. With an unparalleled record of five National Film Awards for Best Actress — the most ever in performance categories — Shabana has proven herself an indomitable talent, seamlessly balancing roles across independent, mainstream and international projects.

While Shabana firmly believes that training can elevate performances and bring out the best in actors, she also acknowledges that no amount of effort can turn a fundamentally bad actor into a good one. “If you are gifted and talented, you’re like a raw diamond; training helps you sparkle. I am a great believer in training and think it does absolutely marvellous things for you,” she said during a conversation with Humans of Cinema.

Also Read | Pushpa 2 box office collection day 4 early report: Allu Arjun film likely to cross Rs 780 crore mark today

However, she maintained that there are exceptions — actors who excel despite having no formal training. She attributed their success to relentless practice and consistent work. “But if you are a bad actor, I don’t think you can survive. Because, there is an emptiness within bad actors that cannot be filled,” Shabana stated. She further emphasised that right faces aren’t always synonymous with great acting ability. “I feel that many filmmakers have this misconception that if they hire the right face, they can get work done from them. How can you get the work done? You can if and when you have to use only their faces; but when there are dialogues too, it cannot happen,” she added.

Reflecting on her experience in director Goutam Ghose’s Patang (1993), Shabana recalled working with mostly newcomers during the initial days of the shoot. She confessed to feeling a sense of relief when legendary actor Om Puri joined the cast a week later. “They (the newcomers) were doing fairly well. After a week, Om Puri came and I cannot tell you the sense of relief I had thinking, ‘Oh my god, here is a professional actor,'” she said, adding that it was an absolute delight to work with him. Shabana also named Naseeruddin Shah as her favourite co-star of all time, while expressing her fondness for collaborating with Farooq Shaikh and Amitabh Bachchan as well.

From the homepage