Shabana Azmi Birthday Special: Five of the Actress’s National Award-Winning Performances are Essential Viewing Right Now

Shabana Azmi, who made her movie debut in Shyam Benegal’s 1974 feature debut, “Ankur,” received a National Award for Best Actress for her dazzling performance, and the movie heralded the beginning of an era in Indian cinema that was “parallel” to the dominant Hindi film business.

She is one of the best actors Indian film has ever produced. The renowned actress, who most recently appeared in the hit “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani,” made her acting debut in the 1974 film “Ankur,” directed by Shyam Benegal, and went on to become one of the country’s forerunners of arthouse cinema. Shabana Azmi consistently chose performance-oriented roles that pushed her as an artist, in contrast to the majority of her colleagues who sought to be the stereotypical Bollywood heroines.

Here are the five National Award-winning performances by the great actress that you must see right away as Shabana Azmi turns 73. Look at this…

1. “Ankur” (1975)

Shabana Azmi’s portrayal in her feature debut, “Ankur,” earned her the first-ever National Film Award for Best Actress. You did read that correctly. The actor, who graduated from FTII, portrayed Lakshmi, a Dalit lady who is married to an alcoholic with hearing and speech impairments and later engages in illicit relations with a member of an upper caste. Both critics and viewers were extremely impressed by Azmi’s performance in the movie, which is now regarded as one of her best.

2. “Arth” (1983)

Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, and Khulbhushan Kharbanda played the key characters in this enduring Mahesh Bhatt production, which also featured a stellar ensemble cast. Azmi portrayed Pooja Malhotra, an orphan whose spouse had cheated on her. The seasoned actress earned the National Film Award for Best Actress in 1983 for her subtle portrayal of a lady who discovers a new purpose in life.

3. “Khandhar” (1984)

For her outstanding portrayal of the role of Jamini in the 1984 film “Khandhar,” Shabana Azmi took home her third Best Actress award at the National Film Awards. The tale portrays a woman who lives alone in a rural location in the Mrinal Sen film. At the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, the film was even presented in the Un Certain Regard section.

4. “Paar” (1985)

Shabana Azmi got her fourth National Film Award for Best Actress for the 1985 film directed by Goutam Ghose. She portrays Rama, the expectant wife of Naurangia, a courageous laborer who fights against a landlord’s mistreatment and flees the country (played by Naseeruddin Shah). Her performance in “Paar” continues to serve as a standard.

5. “Godmother” (1999)

In the 1999 film “Godmother,” directed by Vinay Shukla, the seasoned actress, who is well renowned for her incredible flexibility, astounded the audience with her portrayal of a Mafia queen. Shabana Azmi received her fifth National Film Award of her career for Best Actress for her portrayal of the real-life character Santoben Jadeja, who oversaw mafia operations in Porbandar, Gujarat.

-Asmita Sengupta

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Asmita SenguptaContent Writer

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