A masterclass with Shabana Azmi at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024, conducted by Vidya Balan, to mark 50 years of her acting career revealed several little-known facts about the actress. Here are highlights from the session on her remarkable journey, career highlights and personal stories.

Mahesh Bhatt is Shabana’s favourite director

Shabana named Mahesh Bhatt, with whom she had worked in Arth (1982), as the director she was most comfortable working with. She shared an anecdote of Bhatt giving her a one-phrase cue during a crucial scene. It’s the scene where Shabana’s on-screen husband, played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, hands her the divorce papers on her birthday. “Feel exposed,” said Bhatt and that did the trick. Shabana also recalled the iconic telephone scene from the film that was shot in one take within 10 minutes without any script.

When Shabana let Aparna Sen down

Sharing her experience of working with filmmaker Aparna Sen in Sati (1989), Shabana said she thought of her character — a mute girl married to a tree — as a bull that goes about its daily chores without complaining. But Aparna asked her to play it like a fox. This flummoxed the actress and she failed to do justice to the character. “Aparna never said it in words but I know she was disappointed,” Shabana shared.

Cooking fish in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

For her latest film, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), she had to give in to director Karan Johar’s whim. “In the very first scene, I had to cook fish while wearing a silk sari with open hair. I was given this ridiculously long wig. I asked Karan Johar, ‘Which Bengali woman wears a silk sari and opens her hair and all that?’ He replied, ‘In Karan Johar’s film, she does. Don’t ask any questions. Just go ahead’,” said Shabana, who played Alia Bhatt’s grandmother in the film.

Wanting to mimic Aparna Sen in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Shabana revealed that she wanted her character in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani to look like Aparna Sen but Karan Johar and Manish Malhotra dissuaded her. “I had a thought in my head that I’ll play her like Aparna Sen. Manish Malhotra, however, said, ‘No, no, you have to trust me.’ I am really glad I did it because that’s what worked for the film. It was a completely different experience for me.”

She was also hesitant about the scene where she sings Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar in the film, fearing that people would laugh and walk out. But the scene received an overwhelming response. “When I went to the theatres, I heard whistles and claps in that scene,” Shabana added.

When Shabana’s mother chose KBC over her TV show

Vidya Balan also asked Shabana about her foray into television with the serial Anupama in 2001. She said: “It was made by Himesh Reshammiya. We realised that we didn’t have enough slots, and the only time we could get was when Amitabh Bachchan was performing Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). So, when I told my mother my series would air at the same time as KBC, she said, ‘Main toh tumhari picture dekhungi nahin. Amitabh Bachchan ke saamne tum samajhte ho ki teri picture dekhungi?’”.

How Shabana’s family convinced her to do Fire

Shabana also spoke about her concerns around taking up Deepa Mehta’s Fire (1996), where she and Nandita Das played lesbians, a subject that was highly controversial at the time. “I was working in the slums. I feared that my work in Fire would be used against me and would affect my work in the slums. I also felt that those women would find it difficult to work with me.”

But her husband Javed Akhtar and their children, Zoya and Farhan, were incredibly supportive. She recalled Zoya asking her to say yes to the film if she liked the script, and that the film’s ending was changed based on Farhan’s inputs.

Shabana asks Vidya Balan to do theatre

When Shabana asked Vidya if she had worked in theatre, Vidya said, “I won’t dare! I’ve been approached for a couple of plays but I don’t have the courage to say yes.” To this, Azmi said, “We’ll work together”, which led to loud cheers from the audience. Vidya quipped, “I can play mute”, to which Azmi said, “Even to play mute, you will have to do a lot.” Vidya added, “Or I can be sleeping on stage. I can be a corpse or something.”