This Friday box office: It's Shabana Azmi v/s Shabana Azmi
What's the story
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi is set to star in two major theatrical releases on Friday, Rajkumar Santoshi's Partition drama Batwara 1947 and Nitin Kakkar's romantic action thriller Awarapan 2. This unusual double release is a rare occurrence in her career, something she has described as "pure luck" at the age of 75. In an interview with The Indian Express, she expressed gratitude for being offered such diverse roles at this stage of her career.
Career highlights
This happened to her before in 1983
Azmi recalled that the last time she had two films released in quick succession was in 1983.
"There was a time when Avtaar, Masoom, Kaamyab, and Yeh Nazdeekiyan were released within a fortnight of each other," she said.
She attributed this to actors working on multiple films simultaneously, with double shifts being a regular occurrence.
"But that's because actors were working in 8-10 films at the same time."
Industry changes
Azmi's take on the industry back in the day
Azmi also reminisced about the demanding nature of film shoots during that era.
She recalled how late legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor had dubbed his younger brother/her Junoon (1979) co-actor Shashi Kapoor "taxi" because he was often juggling multiple shoots in a day.
"I wonder if any of our younger actors can even imagine the lack of basic facilities and reams of dialogue we were required to mug up, with less than 10 minutes given to emotionally prepare for a shot."
Character insights
Diverse roles in both films
In Batwara 1947, Azmi plays Mai, a character she described as "quintessential Mother Earth, warm, loving, and strong yet vulnerable."
The film is an adaptation of Asghar Wajahat's play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya O Jamya E Nai.
In Awarapan 2, she plays the antagonist Nafisa. Approaching the role "indulgently rather than all fuming and blazing," she highlighted that power reveals itself best when "understated."
Personal ties
Personal connections to her roles
Azmi's involvement in Awarapan 2 is also a personal connection. She was approached by Vishesh Bhatt, son of producer Mukesh Bhatt, and she has known him since he was a child.
Batwara 1947 marks her first collaboration with Rajkumar Santoshi.
In Batwara 1947, she shares screen space with Sunny Deol for the first time, three years after starring opposite his late father Dharmendra in Karan Johar's family comedy Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.