Shabana Azmi
India
Shabana Azmi
  • Actress (Cinema)
Born Hyderabad, India, 1950. BA Psychology, St. Xavier’s College (1972); Film and Television Institute of India (1973).
“Art can lead to a climate in which sensitivity allows change to occur, and with it inherently comes social responsibility.”

Summary

Famed Bollywood actor and activist Shabana Azmi describes the changes in India’s film industry from the 1970s to today, making comparisons between the evolution of commercial film and the alternative 'parallel cinema,' a Bengali movement that produced artistic and socially minded films. Azmi explains how her work in groundbreaking films, such as the dramas Ankur and Paar, led to her activism on behalf of the rights of women and the poor. She also discusses the shift in financing film from a more piecemeal, protracted process to one dominated by large corporations, and how this has influenced even the content of films. She describes the workings of the Central Board of Film Certification and, particularly, its approval of the highly controversial film “Fire,” which set off riots for its depiction of a lesbian relationship, and also relates her experience as an MP in the upper house of parliament. She reflects on her experience as a woman and a Muslim in an industry and country that is patriarchal and Hindu majority.

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Famed Bollywood actor and activist Shabana Azmi describes the changes in India’s film industry from the 1970s to today, making comparisons between the evolution of commercial film and the alternative 'parallel cinema,' a Bengali movement that produced artistic and socially minded films. Azmi explains how her work in groundbreaking films, such as the dramas Ankur and Paar, led to her activism on behalf of the rights of women and the poor. She also discusses the shift in financing film from a more piecemeal, protracted process to one dominated by large corporations, and how this has influenced even the content of films. She describes the workings of the Central Board of Film Certification and, particularly, its approval of the highly controversial film “Fire,” which set off riots for its depiction of a lesbian relationship, and also relates her experience as an MP in the upper house of parliament. She reflects on her experience as a woman and a Muslim in an industry and country that is patriarchal and Hindu majority.
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Video Clips by Topic

Gender

Shabana Azmi, the prominent Indian actress, describes how actors in parallel cinema (as opposed to mainstream cinema) in India have challenged the prevailing gender norms, and relates the risks associated with their doing so.
Keywords: India, Gender


Social Impact (1)

Shabana Azmi, the prominent Indian actress, discusses her unconventional role as a lesbian in the film Fire, and explains why risks should be taken in parallel cinema.
Keywords: Social Impact, India


Social Impact (2)

Shabana Azmi, the prominent Indian actress, explains her belief that art is a tool of social change capable of shifting the prevailing societal views, especially about gender, and how this conviction has affected her choice of roles.


Social Impact (3)

Shabana Azmi, the prominent Indian actress, discusses her transition from actress to activist, and why she persisted despite initial challenges.
Keywords: Social Impact, India


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Additional Resources

Interview Citation Format

Interview with Shabana Azmi, interviewed by Rohit Deshpande, November 30, 2015, Creating Emerging Markets Project, Baker Library Historical Collections, Harvard Business School, http://www.hbs.edu/creating-emerging-markets/.