Shabana Azmi decided to ‘quit’ films after being humiliated by dance master: ‘I started crying, walked barefoot to my house’

In a recent interview, veteran actor Shabana Azmi opened up about a humiliating experience on the sets of Parvarish after a feud with dance choreographer Kamal.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | April 21, 2025 04:43 PM IST

4 min read

Shabana Azmi recalls dance master Kamal's humiliation on Parvarish sets (Photo: Facebook, Ekhla Bangla)

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi has worked in several mainstream Bollywood films, including Manmohan Desai’s 1977 action drama Parvarish. In a recent interview, she recalled the time she felt humiliated in her acting career that she wanted to quit the industry. Shabana spoke about how on the sets of Parvarish, she was called out by dance master Kamal in front of hundreds of junior artists, because she couldn’t dance.

In a conversation with Filmfare, the actor recalled, “In a scene from Parvarish, I had told Kamal master that I don’t know how to dance, please make us rehearsal. He said that there’s nothing to do, sirf taali bajaana hai (you only have to clap). I had guns in both my hands, one was in the air, and the other one on my waist. Even before I could understand if I should put my right foot forward or left, Neetu already did two perfect rehearsals.”

“So, very meekly I said, ‘Its very difficult for me Master ji, aap zara change karsakte hain kya?’ He said, ‘Lights off, lights off please’. Now, Shabana ji will tell Kamal master that what kind of steps should be done. Dikhaiye Shabana ji. There were atleast 150 junior artists there. Manmohan Desai wasn’t there that day. I walked out, started crying, went down and my car wasn’t there. I started walking barefoot right from the set to my house. People must be wondering what’s wrong with me. I was crying fully in my costume,” she further added.

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Shabana made her mind about quitting the film industry and didn’t budge at all. “I reached my house and said that I don’t want to work in the film industry, I don’t want to associate with these people. I just don’t want to work with him, I wept my heart out. Man ji came and said that it’s his fault that he wasn’t there that day. I swear that this will not happen again. I said that I will not be coming tomorrow, we will see. Even Habib Nadiadwala came to convince me and asked me to let it go, but I had made my mind that I am not going to work,” she shared.

It was actor Sulakshana Pandit who gave her a reality check that she is the leading lady and shouldn’t quit because of a dance choreographer. “At an event the next day, Neetu asked me what happened and why I disappeared. I told her what he did and I am not going to work in films anymore. Of all people in the world, Sulakshana Pandit was sitting there. She said, ‘Why? You were the heroine, they cannot afford to let you go. He is only a choreographer. How dare he speaks to you like that and how dare you accept it? Get him thrown out, you don’t have to leave the film industry for this’. Mujhe laga itni badi baat, imagine Sulakshana Pandit has made such a difference to my life,” she elaborated.

The actor went back to the sets of Parvarish and continued the shoot with a superior on their heads. “Then, I went back and had a superior look through out. I don’t know how to do it, you can’t force me. Kamal hated me till the end of his days. I hated him equally. It was the most humiliating thing that has happened to me in films. It was horrible,” she concluded.

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