Shabana Azmi turns 71: Here's A Look At Some Of Her Best Performances

Shabana Azmi best films: Shabana Azmi, one of the most dynamic actors in the Hindi film industry, is considered to be an inspiration for many young actors of this generation. Her diverse body of work is a testimony to her talent and versatility.

Her acting prowess has won her five National Awards and four international awards. She was also honoured with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the government of India. On her 71st birthday today, here is a list of five of her best performances.

Arth

Arth for which Shabana Azmi bagged a National Award, was written and directed by Mahesh Bhatt showed a married man involved in a relationship outside his marriage. The wife (played by Shabana Azmi) later is seen embarking on a journey to find her true identity. The film also starred Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Smita Patil, Raj Kiran and Rohini Hattangadi in important roles.

Makdee

Makdee was a comedy horror starring Shabana Azmi, Makrand Deshpande, Shweta Basu Prasad, Vijay Raj and Alaap Mazgaonkar. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film followed the journey of a young girl and how she meets an old witch in an old mansion. Shabana Azmi was roped in to play the role of the witch.

Fire

Deepa Mehta's most controversial film Fire starred Shabana Azmi where she played the role of a homosexual proving her acting prowess and apprising the audience about the important issue of LGBTQIA+ rights. The movie shows how two women discover their love for each other on being neglected their respective husbands. The two women then decide to spend their lives together with each other.

Sparsh

Chalk n Duster

It is a 2016 Indian drama film that highlights the conundrum of commercialization of the Indian private education system. The film also explores female friendships when a passionate teacher Jyoti (played by Juhi Chawla) stands up for her fellow teacher Vidya (played by Azmi) to fight against her unjustified dismissal by the school's new principal, Kamini Gupta. This is also one of Azmi's most solid performances.

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