Happy birthday Shabana Azmi: Here’s why we call her the boss lady of female centric cinema

Arth

Mahesh Bhatt’s cult romance drama is one of the must watches even today. Shabana Azmi’s character Pooja in this film gave a fresh perspective to the Indian woman, the woman who was fierce and independent, the woman who was not scared of walking out of her marriage and the woman who decides that she does not need a man to complete her life. This was the first time the Indian woman saw this life on-screen, and Azmi was critically acclaimed for her role. Women had now started looking at Azmi as a power-packed performer, a star many could closely related to. She won a National Award for this one.

Mandi

Mandi, Shyam Bengal’s satirical comedy on politics and prostitution is and will always be one of the cult classics. It starred Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Smita Patil. Azmi as a brothel madame brings back power and respect to the lives of the women workers there. In this movie Azmi is proud of her girls and especially for their talent. Seeking talent in a brothel in the time was refreshing because otherwise a brothel business was seen as a taboo subject and women were not respected for their individuality, and were looked down upon instead.

Fire

Staying in a failed marriage, exploring the essence of love, this film is Deepa Mehta’s first of elements trilogy. Fire was targeted by various Indian political parties who claimed that the film was going against Indian culture and was immoral. It was also called pornographic and unnatural as the film tackles homosexuality. However the film critique circuit praised the explicit depiction of a homosexual relationship as gutsy, explosive and path breaking. Azmi played a middle-aged woman who was in a sex-less and child-less marriage. She found love, affection and intimacy in her sister-in-law, Sita, played by Nandita Das. Nandita on her part was in a marriage with a man who was cheating on her. This is the time when people found a voice, and the fight for justice and expression of thought broke out.

Godmother

Godmother, is a biographical drama directed by Vinay Shukla and was ostensibly inspired by the life of Santokben Jadeja, who ran mafia operations in Porbandar, Gujarat. Shabana Azmi won a National Award for this one. The film is based on Rambi, a character portrayed by Azmi. She uses violence and takes revenge for her husband’s murder, while fighting the corrupt political system, so much so that Rambhi becomes a veritable mafia Godmother herself. Azmi was truly in the character. She shot guns without flinching an eye. This was the time when a woman was shown in a powerful negative role who was glorious, and not sorry for her choices. It resonated with the women of the time too, when they were making choices and were not sorry for the decisions.

Makdee

In a society where women are respected for their motherly instincts, Makdee, by Vishal Bhardwaj showed Shabana Azmi as the witch who doesn’t necessarily like kids. This children’s film received a lot of international acclaim and Shweta Basu Prasad even won the National Award in the Best Child Actor category. Azmi picked this role and portrayed it like nobody else. This was the time when she proved that experimenting was her forte and she proved that an actor has to be known for how they portray their characters by not embracing glamour, which was a norm of the film industry.

Morning Raga

Morning Raga, directed by Mahesh Dattani is unusual for its understated acting and extensive use of English albeit with a generous smattering of Godavari Telugu. Shabana Azmi’s character, Swarnalata, is the best juxtaposition of modern and traditional life. Swarnalata is a classically trained Carnatic singer. The film entirely belongs to Shabana Azmi, in a fantastic role that gives her scope to display both dramatic talent and particularly her ability to play a very difficult character, yet again.

If you haven’t seen these films already, it would be a good idea to watch them and experience the magic of pure cinema and why a lot of today’s films lack the soul that was once the crux of our films. Here’s wishing Shabana Azmi, a very happy birthday.