Shabana Azmi on getting back on her feet after accident and working on an international project while under lockdown
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 18, 2020)

Even a lockdown cannot keep Shabana Azmi down. The internationally-acclaimed actress has just collaborated with Tony award-winning director, Michael Mayer, Italian author Erri De Luca and his partner, Paola Bisson, on a unique project. Titled Decameron 2020, it entailed turning 1000-word stories on the Coronavirus crisis by a group of authors from across the world into dramatic recitations. She has recorded Professor Tabish Khair’s story, which prompts the first question:

Why the story ‘River Of No Return’? What is your take on the current crisis, or as you say, the human crisis?
When I was approached for this project by Prof Tabish Khair, I said “yes” immediately because I was touched by his story ‘River Of No Return’. Also, the central idea that different authors from across the world use the lockdown creatively and get actors to do dramatised readings appealed to me because I feel creativity flourishes in solitude. In trying times like these, the artist must rise to the occasion and create sense out of chaos.

The great Italian writer-director, Erri Luca, with Decameron 2020, is connecting storytellers from all over the world—authors, journalists, poets and actors—to write and perform stories which grow out of our collective isolation. In this way, he is building a bridge, bringing together diverse voices and ideas to share their compassionate vision of this collective human experience. I have already completed my recording. Julian Sands, Stéfi Celma, Michael Alone, Pascal Greggory and Luigi Lo Cascio are some of the other actors involved, with production designer Richard Petit creating a virtual background for each story.

What was the process like?
It was challenging because I was working with director Michael Myers on a virtual platform without having ever met him—an inconceivable idea just a few months ago. I had to arrange for a green chroma screen, fix the phone on a tripod, arrange the lights etc. Mercifully, since my brother Baba Azmi is a DoP, he sent me the equipment and his colleague Ravi Vohra to help me. I’m used to big cameras and the hustle bustle of a shoot. Here, I was filming on an iPhone and had to okay takes on my own!

Are digital films and shows, dramatic recitations and online concerts the way forward in a world of social distancing?
Is this going to be the new normal? I hope not! I like to work with people around me, not in isolation. Both Javed (Akhtar, husband) and I have been giving talks, doing poetry recitations and participating in webinars, but I miss the adrenaline rush of being on a set with the crew and my co-stars.

Two of my projects have been interrupted because of the pandemic and two films—a feature and a short are complete, but on hold. But I’m being sent scripts so hope is not lost!

Have these weeks of lockdown changed your perception of life, made you feel vulnerable, restless or evolved?
I think a bit of all three has happened. On a personal level, I am grateful for the time Javed and I are getting together, but the plight of the migrant labourers trudging home on foot haunts me. The deep inequalities in our society, the fragile structure of our public healthcare system, the lack of social security covers send shivers down my spine. I also realise how little we actually need.

My wardrobe is overflowing with clothes, bags and footwear that I’ve never used, while a large majority of our people (eight crore have lost their jobs in the last 50 days) don’t know where their next meal is coming from. I read some beautiful lines recently, “We need new parameters to measure success—the amount of time we spend with loved ones and the number of people we help.” I hope this crisis will lead to a new world order, one that is equitable, just and in sync with nature.

Is there something you wish you had to help you through this isolation?
I miss my mother. I could have spent uninterrupted time with her. I feel jab tak badon ka haath hamare sar par hota hai, tab tak barqat rehti hai ghar mein.

Have you completely recovered from the road accident soon after Javed saab’s birthday in January?
I have recovered 90 per cent, but there is still some pain in my arms and palms because of the whiplash on my neck. Doctors tell me it will take another couple of months to heal. It’s a miracle I survived without breaking any bones. I’ve broken my shoulder, wrist and foot in the past. Javed says when he saw me covered in blood, he had his heart in his mouth till I reached the ICU. Mercifully, I remember nothing, but I’m grateful for all the prayers and blessings I received from all over the world, which had a big hand in my recovery.

So, when’s the next fun party?
I’ve been having virtual parties with my girl-gang every week! I’m ready to rock ‘n’ roll!

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; March 28, 2020)

Shabana Azmi recently spoke to BT about life post the near-fatal accident in January this year, how the ecosystem of casting character actors has changed, and life in times of the coronavirus pandemic. Read on…

You returned from a trip to Budapest and went in for self-imposed quarantine. How are you biding time at home while in self-isolation?
I returned on March 15 with my close friend Parna Patkar and my nurse Pravina who were with me in Budapest. Hungary was not included in the risky countries then, so I wasn’t worried. It was really on Parna’s and Zoya’s (Akhtar) insistence that I have self-isolated myself till March 30.

What arrangements have you made at home for quarantining yourself, given that your husband Javed Akhtar is also home these days?
Our office staff is working from their homes. Only a skeletal domestic staff is operating from our house. We have been counselling whoever we can to maintain a safe distance and wash their hands with soap and water frequently. With healthcare conditions in our country severely lacking, we simply do not have the wherewithal to deal with the pandemic if it hits in full force. There are not enough ventilators, ICUs and hospital beds, so we have to try and flatten the curve. Social distancing and going by the government advisories must become the norm. I participated in a board meeting (via phone) of the NGO I work with based in Ahmedabad for two hours.

I am trying to Marie Condo the house starting with my books, although it’s really hard to part with them! But I really want to declutter and get rid of stuff I haven’t used for six months, whether it’s clothes bags or shoes. I don’t see the point of having a favourite sari or a favourite outfit if I know that I won’t repeat it. I’m glad Kate Middleton has been repeating her outfits and talking about sustainable fashion. Celebrities must set an example and repeat their clothes. Javed and I have also been reading a lot, watching movies and resting. I’ve recovered well but have to still get my strength back.

Could you tell us how long it took you to recover from the accident that you met with on the weekend after Javed Saab’s birthday and what had really happened?
It was a pure accident. I was sleeping at the back of my car because we had stayed up till early morning celebrating Javed’s birthday. Javed was in another car ahead of me with his cousin Dr Sumbul Warsi and her husband Nawab. We were on our way to Sukoon, our house in Khandala when a truck rammed into my car.

Your accident had clearly shaken up the entire family. Javed Saab had barely gone home during those days…
Mercifully, I passed out and I remember nothing. When I came to my senses, I was in the ICU at Kokilaben Hospital, Mumbai. The doctors and hospital staff were exemplary. In fact, I remember very little of the entire period I was in the ICU. Every now and then I would hear snatches of a conversation where someone would say, ‘It’s a miracle she survived.’ My phone was taken away. It was much later that I saw the outpouring of concern and prayers from all quarters. It was overwhelming. I resumed shooting 40 days after the accident. It’s a miracle I didn’t break any bones or require surgery. But my nerves have taken a beating. I still have a lot of pain in my neck, arms and palms due to the accident.

Before the industry halted work, you had resumed shooting and travelling. How was the experience on the set of Halo in Budapest?
I’ve been shooting there off and on since October and it’s been great. I’m contracted not to say more than that at this stage about the project.

As an actor, you’ve always been active from the time you started off ...
Neena Gupta had recently brought up the issue of ageism a few months ago. She had even urged filmmakers through social media to get work.

Do you think women (of your generation), even today, do not have enough age-appropriate roles written for them?
It’s getting better. This is a very good time for actors because all kinds of work are coming our way. I’m doing drama, comedy, villainous roles in equal measure, and enjoying it. The advent of the casting director has changed the ecosystem, particularly for character actors. Earlier you had stock characters...Jeevan, Kanhaiyalal, Shivraj, etc. Today, the actors are being ferreted out from theatre and small towns. They bring a great degree of authenticity because acting is about reacting. This inspires the lead actors to push the envelope. Actors are no longer doing 12 films at one time, so they get the time to learn a skill, change body type, etc. Today, if you are shown playing the guitar, you can’t fake it. You have to learn the chords.

From the time you became an actor, you’ve largely led the films that you’ve worked in. Why do you think the industry has taken so long to accept women in powerful places — as directors, central characters in films, producers, cinematographers and so on?
In a patriarchal society like ours, women have to fight hard for a seat at the table. Boys are privileged over girls from birth. Equal opportunity and access for both girls and boys must become the norm.

In an earlier a discussion with BT, directors like Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Nandita Das and Tanuja Chandra had pointed out that even today, despite a large number of women in different departments of cinema, they are expected to take the shorter end of the stick. Your views?
We need many more directors, producers and writers who have a female gaze. A woman director is not obliged to make a feminist film. She can make what she wants, a thriller, an action film, a comedy, or whatever, but hopefully, she will be informed by a gaze that is female.

You often say that Javed saab does not have the bone of romance in his body, but both of you have always stood by each other like a rock. Love and companionship of that sort are becoming rare in relationships today. What do you think has kept you both together for so many years?
Love, friendship and a similar worldview. We belong to identical backgrounds...we could have had an arranged marriage given our commonalities!


-------------------------
MEDICS VISIT JAVED AKHTAR-SHABANA AZMI’S BUILDING

Yesterday morning, a team of medics was seen at Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar’s building. According to a resident from the neighbourhood, the team wore protective gear and masks on and carried their kits and other equipment to the top floor of the building, where the couple stays.

The actress, who was in Budapest for the shoot of her international film, Halo, had returned to India around March 15 and has been in a self-imposed quarantine for a fortnight. She had met with a serious car accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in January. When we reached out to her, she said, “I had to take certain tests in the hospital, as a follow-up to the accident. Fortunately, we were able to do all the tests at home. I am fine.”

Sonil Dedhia (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 18, 2020)

If you compare those graphic images to the outpouring of love and concern that came my way from my audience, it overwhelmed me so completely that nothing else mattered,” says Shabana Azmi from Budapest, Hungary, where she’s currently shooting for Steven Spielberg’s Halo. The veteran actor met with an accident on the Mumbai-Pune-Expressway a couple of months back. As her upcoming short film, Sheer Qorma, on same sex relationship is about to release, she opens up on the changing portrayal of homosexuality in Hindi cinema across decades. Excerpts:

You met with a road accident in January. How is your health now?
I am completely fine and have fully recovered. Currently, I am in Budapest shooting for Halo (produced by Steven Spielberg) and I am happy to be back on the sets.

Pictures of the unfortunate incident were circulated on social media. Many felt that it was insensitive and intrusive. Did that bother you?
My family was upset. It was kept away from me for the longest time as I didn’t have my cellphone. When I saw it, I was on my way to recovery. At that moment, I was just really grateful to those who helped me and the hospital staff.

Right from Fire (1996), the release of which was opposed and banned, to Sheer Qorma now, how do you think the portrayal of the LGBTQ community in Hindi cinema has changed?
I have to say that this genre has opened up, really. The frequency of films that deal with a sensitive subject like homosexuality are being made, have increased in the last few years which is a great sign. The audience, too, is accepting this kind of cinema. Earlier, homosexuality was ridiculed in mainstream cinema but now, we see this subject being tackled sensitively. But at the same time, I feel it is only a section of audience especially in the metros who has have accepted this change.

What would you attribute this change to?
The notion of a family is changing. It is no longer just a heterogeneous family that we accept as a norm. We have seen two partners of the same sex having a baby and I think it is a healthy sign. The notion of family is being redefined as it is no longer restricted to having a baby biologically.

What do you think about mainstream actors working in films dealing with sensitive subjects?
I always believe that films are a reflection of our society and good films can influence society. There is a relation but there is an acceptance, too, and that has to be applauded. Actors today, aren’t shying away from experimenting. The credit should also go to the producer who is ready to back a film on a sensitive subject and the writer who writes the script. The Supreme Court’s decision of scrapping Section 377 was a big propeller towards positively changing the perspective that people had towards the LGBTQ community. It is a great time to be an actor. Gender and age are no longer considered while casting someone.

In a career spanning over 45 years, have you ever faced sexism and ageism?
I have been extremely lucky and my career has always been about being at the right place at the right time. It was my good fortune that Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974) became the film that propelled parallel cinema forward. Consequently, I got many different roles from what I would have got had I worked only in mainstream cinema. I never faced lack of acceptance.