Working for over five decades in cinema, what role has veteran actor Shabana Azmi not done? Yet she never loses her childlike enthusiasm when she gets to explore a new role — be it comedy, drama, or the villain. This year, in particular, she has dabbled in everything — from Dabba Cartel to the Hollywood series Halo, from resuming her inter-city theatrical tour for the play Broken Images to shooting for an Indo-American production.

Now, Azmi has joined director and writer Nitin Kakkar’s Awarapan 2, headlined by Emraan Hashmi and Disha Patani. The shooting of the Vishesh Bhatt film, co-written by Bilal Siddiqui, began in September in Singapore. The team shot for a month before the makers called for a break.

The sequel to the 2007 film Awarapan, will see the return of gangster Shivam Malik (Hashmi) after his ‘almost’ death at the end of the first instalment. Azmi will play Hashmi’s adversary, heightening the conflict and emotional narrative between the characters in the sequel. “[My character] comes at a pivotal turning point in the story,” shares Azmi, marking this as her first film with Vishesh Films.

While she has worked with Mahesh Bhatt in Arth (1982), it feels nostalgic for the senior actor to shoot with Hashmi. Azmi recollects working with his grandmother Purnima Devi in Fakira (1976).

“It’s my first time collaborating with Emraan, whom I’ve seen as a child. I shot for a day in Mumbai with him. I will shoot for the remaining scenes, which will be done abroad, as soon as I wrap up the film I’m presently shooting in London. I am yet to film with Disha Patani,” she smiles.

After playing grey characters in Dabba Cartel and Nikkhil Advani’s series The Empire, does Azmi prefer negative roles to more layered characters?

She says, “I’m at a stage where I’m ready to do any part that suits my fancy. My roles are not about screen time today, but more about creating an impact.”