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Sharing her views on acting, Shabana Azmi highlighted that a filmmaker’s role is exceptional in elevating the acting performance of artists.
Shabana Azmi noted that bad actors cannot survive in the industry. (Photo Credit: Instagram)
Shabana Azmi is considered one of the best actresses of all time in Indian cinema. The veteran global icon has proven her mettle across independent, mainstream, and international films such as Ankur, Arth and Masoom. The actress recently offered her views on filmmaking and acting, during an interview.
Certain filmmakers hold the opinion that choosing an actor who looks the part means that the job is done. However, Shabana Azmi differs from this view. During a conversation with Humans of Cinema, Shabana noted that this is a common ‘misconception’ that filmmakers hold. She said, “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 that bad actors cannot survive in the industry, no matter the training.
Sharing her views on acting, she highlighted that a filmmaker’s role is exceptional in elevating the acting performance of artists. She noted that raw talent is like an uncut diamond, it shines with the proper training. However, she maintained that some actors are exceptions, who excel without formal training by dint of their hard work and consistent effort.
Recalling her career, she looked back at her role in 1993’s Patang when she mostly worked with new actors in the beginning days. Shabana remembered having a great sense of relief when Om Puri joined the cast a week later. She said to herself, “Oh my god, here is a professional actor.” She described it as a pleasure to share the screen with him.
During the same interview, she also noted that Naseeruddin Shah remains her all-time favorite co-star. The two have shared the screen in classic films such as Sparsh, Mandi and Masoom.
Meanwhile, Shabana Azmi is celebrating her 40th wedding anniversary with Javed Akhtar today, December 9. Sharing a heartwarming picture of herself with Jvaed from their home, the actress wrote, “It’s 40 years today since we got married and he still makes me laugh.” The snap featured Shabana Azmi looking beautiful in a pink suit and a matching flower adorning her hair, while Javed Akhtar sported his signature style in a white shirt and coordinating jacket.
