Shabana Azmi is set to be honored at the prestigious New York Indian Film Festival. She is renowned for her five-decade-long contribution to the Indian entertainment industry. Recently, Azmi spoke about the positive impact of the women-centric roles taken on by Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt.
Azmi highlighted the evolving portrayal of women within the industry, attributing a significant shift to the notable roles essayed by Padukone and Bhatt in mainstream films. She emphasized the importance of this change reflected in mainstream cinema. She also highlighted the need for substantial representation to reach broader audiences.
Shabana Azmi talks about the evolving role of women in movies
In an interview with Mid-Day, Azmi discussed the evolving roles of women in the film industry. She spoke about the significant shift from the days when only parallel cinema offered substantial roles to women. “Today, look at the roles Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone are doing in mainstream films,” Azmi remarked.
Shabana Azmi further expressed her optimism about the increasing presence of women in various authoritative roles within the industry. She believes this change will help foster more women-centric content. “That there are so many women on the set today in positions of authority is a good sign. Since there are so many female writers now, I hope it will lead to more women-centered content,” she said during the interview.
The actress also touched upon the issue of pay disparity in the industry. Azmi suggested that the trend will shift as female-led movies begin to generate significant box office revenue. “Heroes need to be ready to play second fiddle like women did all these years,” Azmi added, indicating a need for a more equitable approach in casting and salary structures.
Shabana Azmi, a five-time National Film Award winner for Best Actress, has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights and equality in the film industry throughout her career. She was honored by the Government of India with the Padma Shri in 1998 and the Padma Bhushan in 2012. The acclaimed actress was last seen in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, sharing the screen with Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh.
