Vidya Balan, Dia Mirza Rekhi and Nandita Das were among a series of celebrities from the film fraternity who paid a video tribute to Bollywood veteran Shabana Azmi on Tuesday to celebrate 50 years of her acting career.

Sharing the video on Instagram on Tuesday, Shabana said it was the most cherished gift life could ever have given to her. “My dearest darling friends, I am speechless. Sorry for sharing something so personal, but this is the most cherished gift life could have ever given me. My tears can’t stop. It was a real challenge to do a shot after receiving this,” she wrote.

Tracing Shabana’s journey from Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974), Nandita went on to highlight some of the movies from the actress’s illustrious career through which she worked with filmmakers like Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen, Shekhar Kapur, Sai Paranjpye and Goutam Ghose.

“It’s half a century, unbelievable. Right from Ankur (1974) to Paar (1984), Sparsh (1980), Masoom (1983) and Khandhar (1984),” Nandita said in her tribute, expressing her wish to work with Shabana again.

Dia, too, expressed her admiration for Shabana, terming the latter as a torchbearer and champion who always used her voice to make a difference. “This is the hardest video I have ever recorded because it is so difficult to encapsulate what you mean to us,” she said.

“Shabana Azmi, congratulations on completing 50 glorious years as an actor,” Vidya chimed in. “When I watched you in Arth, I realised for the first time that a female actor can have a voice on screen,” she said, adding, “I’m always tickled by the fact that you know me, know my name, and that we share a personal connection—I still can’t believe it sometimes.”

Divya Dutta talked about Shabana’s versatility as an actress, noting that she stole the show in typical Bollywood films like Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Parvarish (1977) and Devata (1978), apart from the arthouse movies.

“You are a radiant lamp and light up every place you're in. I love that zest for life and work that you have,” she added.

Shahana Goswami recalled Shabana’s powerful performances in Mandi (1983) and Godmother (1999). “Getting to know you was one of the best things about Honeymoon Travels,” said Sandhya Mridul, who played Madhu in the 2007 comedy-drama Honeymoon Travels, directed by Reema Kagti. “One never feels the age difference with you because you are so youthful and fun,” she added.

Tannishtha Chatterjee said Shabana’s performances never feel dated. “It’s a cliché to say that we want to be like Shabana Azmi, but some clichés are meant to be repeated because they are so true,” she signed off.

Vidya, Dia, Divya and Shahana also teamed up with Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s production company Tiger Baby Films to celebrate some of Shabana’s most iconic performances through a video series titled Off the Record.

Vidya credited Shabana with having had the strongest influence on her as an actor. Acknowledging how difficult it is to choose a favourite, Vidya went on to talk about Shabana’s performance in Arth (1982) and Masoom (1983).

Recalling a telephone scene between Shabana and Smita Patil in Arth, Vidya praised the authenticity with which Shabana played her character.

“We have Masoom, where Shabana’s husband DK tells her, ‘I have something to tell you.’ She is taking pillowcases out, but she feels scared. The kid runs away from home. They finally bring him back. She is screaming at the child, but she’s also grappling with guilt. The actor has brought such truth to it...very rarely do you see those kinds of moments in a performance,” said Vidya.

“No one like her, truly,” she concluded.

Dia recalled Shabana’s portrayal of Chetana, an unconventional woman who refuses to beg or pine for love, in H. K. Verma’s 1976 film Kadambari. “Her passion is rooted in a clear-sighted acceptance of reality...She’s a treat to watch from the first scene to the last,” Dia said.

Recalling Shabana’s “subtle, soft, and honest” acting in Arth and her “tricky role” in Masoom, Shahana cited the veteran actress as her inspiration. “I hugely admire her as an actor and have immense gratitude for her contributions to this industry for 50 years,” she said.

Divya lauded Shabana’s “hunger” that fuels her dedication to her craft. “You can’t separate the role from her; she just becomes one with the character, and that’s the magic of Shabana Azmi,” she noted, adding that Shabana has always been her favourite actor.

Shabana will next be seen in Faraz Arif Ansari’s upcoming film Bun Tikki, a Manish Malhotra production that also marks her on-screen reunion with Zeenat Aman after the 1982 crime drama Ashanti.