Shabana Azmi is one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema. She is a film actress as well as a social activist, and while her performances in films of a variety of genre have generally earned her praises and awards.

Shabana Azmi's parents are Kaifi Azmi, a renowned Indian poet and writer of Urdu and Shaukat, a well known stage actress. She is a Muslim, and her brother, Baba Azmi, is a cinematographer. Her parents had an active social life, and their home was always throbbing with people and activities. Early in childhood, the environment in her home inculcated into her a respect for family ties, social and human values; and her parents always supported her to develop a passion for intellectual stimulation and growth.

Shabana Azmi completed a graduation degree in Psychology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, followed by a course in Acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. She topped the list of successful candidates of 1972.

In the initial stage of her career, Shabana Azmi was linked to noted film director Shekhar Kapur, but married Javed Akhtar, a famed lyricist, poet and scriptwriter of bollywood on 9 December 1984. It was Akhtar’s second marriage, the first being with the Bollywood scriptwriter, Honey Irani. He has always given her encouragements to stimulate her to grow independently.

Shabana Azmi has acted in over one hundred Hindi movies of different genres, mainstream, experimental and parallel Indian cinema; and many of her movies have been displayed at prestigious international centers including George Pompidou Centre (Paris), the Norwegian Film Institute, the Simthsonian Institution and the American Film Institute, Washington Pacific Cinematheque and Winnipeg Cinematheque.

Shabana Azmi has been a committed social activist, active in fighting AIDS and injustice in real life.

Shabana Azami is also a social activist and has voiced her opinion on a variety of issues. Initially, her activism drew skepticism and was dubbed as a publicity gimmick. However, she proved her critics wrong and used her celebrity status to emerge as a high-profile social activist. This began as a feeling of inadequacy in her, and "suddenly she felt almost perverse to win applause and accolade for representing a person on screen and ignoring her in real life".

The 1993 Mumbai riots appalled her and she emerged as a forceful critic of religious extremism. After the September 11 2001 attacks, she opposed the advice of an important religious leader calling upon the Muslims of India to join the people of Afghanistan in their fight by retorting that the leader go there alone. Her strong reaction encouraged other moderate Muslim leaders to counsel restraint and tolerance, and to shun terrorism.

AWARDS AND HONORS :

1975 - National Film Awards for Best Actress, Ankur
1977 - Filmfare Best Actress Award, Swami
1982 - Filmfare Best Actress Award, Arth
1983 - National Film Awards for Best Actress, Arth
1984 - National Film Awards for Best Actress, Khandhar
1984 - Filmfare Best Actress Award, Bhavna
1985 - National Film Awards for Best Actress, Paar
1988 - she was awarded the Padma Shri.
1998 - she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund.
1999 - National Film Awards for Best Actress, Godmother
2005 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
2006 - she was awarded the Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award for her work with the slum dwellers of Mumbai.

Shabana Azmi’s long association with movies and her performances in them, as also her work as a social activist and an active parliamentarian, had been well and widely recognized, including conferment with several awards. Other awards received by her include:

Rajiv Gandhi Award (1994) for “Excellence of Secularism”
Yash Bhartiya Award (1988) by the Government of Uttar Pradesh for highlighting women’s issues In her work as an actress and activist.

The International Award for Best Actress for Gulzar’s “Libaas” in North Korea (1993),
For Gautam Ghose’s “Patang” at the Taormina Arte Festival (1994)
In Italy and for Deepa Metha’s “Fire” at the Chicago International Film Festival (1996).
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, Best Actress (Hindi Movies) (1999) for Godmother
Gandhi International Peace Prize (2006) awarded by Gandhi Foundation, London.

Since 1989, she is a member of the National Integration Council headed by the Prime Minister of India; a member of National AIDS Commission (of India); and was nominated (in 1997) as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament. UNFPA had appointed her as its goodwill Ambassador for India, and the Michigan University conferred (in 2002) on her the Martin Luther King Professorship award in recognition of her contribution to arts, culture and society.

Despite being successful and well known celebrity across several media, Shabana Azmi has remained in touch with the reality, and is perceived by many reviewers to live a life rooted to the grassroots, and this had been her forte to enact their lives in many roles which she had done on stage, movies and TV serials. This has been her inspiration to articulate the cause of the underprivileged and marginalized segments of the society.

As part of the promotion for her film Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., she was asked about her own honeymoon. She supposedly said that she went to Pune with a couple of her girlfriends and that she has not yet had a formal honeymoon. She was supposed to have added that her husband Javed still owes her one.
 

ABOUT HER SELF :

Date of Birth: 18 September 1950
City: Delhi
Country: India
Mother: Shaukat Kaifi
Father: Kaifi Azmi
Marital status: married
Spouse: Javed Akhtar
Ex-boyfriend: Shekhar Kapur
Education: Psychology (St.Xavier's College), Film and Television Institute of India
Other facts: she was among the first in India to publicly criticize militant Islam
Occupation: bollywood actress
Debut Film: Ankur

FILMOGRAPHY :

Umrao Jaan 2"
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.
Umrao Jaan
Betting On Love
15 Park Avenue
Waterborne
Morning Raga
Tehzeeb
Makdee
Daughters of This Century
Gaja Gamini
Hari-Bhari: Fertility
Godmother
Earth
Side Streets
Bada Din
The Death Sentence: Mrityu Dand
Saaz
Fire
Patang
Son of the Pink Panther
In Custody
City of Joy
Adharm
Dharavi
Immaculate Conception
Jhoothi Shaan
Antarnaad
Ek Doctor Ki Maut
Fateh
Amba
Disha
Muqaddar Ka Badshaah
Ek Din Achanak
Oonch Neech Beech
Rakhwala
Main Azaad Hoon
Picnic
Sati
Madame Sousatzka
Mardon Wali Baat
Ek Aadmi
Libaas
La Nuit Bengali
Pestonjee
Itihaas
Susman
Nasihat
Genesis
Shart
Anjuman
Ek Pal
Samay Ki Dharaa
Rahi Badal Gaye
Khamosh
Gangvaa
Khandhar
Lorie
Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar
Bhavna
Hum Rahe Na Hum
Kaamyaab
Kamla
Paar
Ram Tera Desh
Yaadon Ki Zanjeer
Doosri Dulhan
Sweekar Kiya Maine
Avtaar
Mandi
Masoom
Pyaasi Aankhen
Arth
Suraag
Raaste Pyar Ke
Anokha Bandan
Ashanti
Log Kya Kahenge
Namkeen
Yeh Nazdeekiyan
Shama
Ek Hi Bhool
Sameera
Hum Paanch
Apne Paraye
Thodisi Bewafaii
Sparsh
Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai
Ek Baar Kaho
Jwalamukhi
Yeh Kaisa Insaaf
Lahu Ke Do Rang
Amar Deep
Bagula Bhagat
Jallianwalla Bagh
Jeena Yahan
Atithee
Devata
Junoon
Khoon Ki Pukaar
Swarg Narak
Toote Khilone
Shatranj Ke Khilari
Adha Din Adhi Raat
Amar Akbar Anthony
Chor Sipahi
Ek Hi Raasta
Hira Aur Patthar
Kanneshwara Rama
Karm
Khel Khiladi Ka
Kissa Kursi Ka
Parvarish
Swami
Vishwasghaat
Fakira
Kadambari
Shaque
Nishaant
Ankur
Faslah
Ishq Ishq Ishq
Parinay