She credits her parents, Kafi and Shaukat along with her husband, Javed Akhtar and co-stars Shyam Benegal, Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kapoor as the people who have influenced her thought process and personality the most.
“Then there are all the women I worked with in the slums from whom I learned resilience... imagine living under the threat of your home being demolished any day and yet being able to function! Also, the women in Mijwan,” said the actress who wowed with her riveting performances in Mandi, Masoom, and Fire.
Looking back on her achievements so far, she said, “I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. But the best is yet to come. Of all the things I do, acting is what I enjoy the most. I’m blessed to be in a profession I love.”
She further added that her decision to enrol in the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was a pivotal point in her life.
According to Azmi, her performances in Arth and Ankur were equally important in her growth as an actor. She spoke about how experiences, such as protesting against the killing of renowned theatre activist Safdar Hashmi, marked a turning point in her life.
“I protested against the killing of theatre activist Safdar Hashmi at the International Film Festival of India in Delhi, where my own film Madam Sousatzka was premiering,” said the 64-year old actor.
To a question about how she manages to do such diverse roles she answered, “For an actor, life must be your resource-base because you can enrich the character you play by drawing upon all the depth of your own experience. In the process of becoming a star you get isolated from life because you are so surrounded by a concentric circle of people around you that you start living almost in a bubble.”
The actor who was last seen in Mira Nair’s film adaptation of the Mohsin Hamid novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist spoke of the importance of staying grounded in spite of the adulation celebrities receive as actors but she believed that in a country like India it would be something very difficult to do.
“Kevin Spacey told me it’s a choice he has made to travel by tube, buy his groceries etc. Can you imagine what would happen in India if Shah Rukh Khan decided to do that? I wanted to travel by metro to my play while I’m in London. But I was advised against it,” said the legendary actor.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2014.
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