In a recent interview, veteran star and 5 time National Award winner, Shabana Azmi mentioned that her family and upbringing influenced her a lot in selecting the movies that shaped her career. She was recently in Kerala for the 18th International Film Festival of Kerala as it’s as the honorable Chief Guest.

Azmi proudly expressed her joy over the Film Festival’s role in gathering great art pieces from various corners of the world. She was happy about the huge audience participation which proves the importance of films in today’s time.

When asked about the social responsibility of Films, she promptly replied that she believes that it depends on the Director’s choice. Azmi further added, “My family and the way in which I was bought up influenced my selection of movies across all genres”.

Comparing the directors, she said that she completely trusts and has faith on the new generation directors. She thinks that the new generation reflects more on the reality of life and the experiences of people in cities.

Legendary directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and others portrayed rural life during their times, as that was the reality of the world during their lifetimes. When asked if she is keen on working in the Malayalam films, Shabana Azmi said, “While acting, it is important for me to understand the meaning of the language.”

Azmi also said that she greatly wants the government to help and play a bigger role in making good meaningful films. She also expressed her happiness about the way women have now become an integrate part of film making. She also reserved her thoughts on celebrating women’s sexuality in the new genre movies.

She said, “At present, film cameras are being used as an instrument of making women an object of sexuality”. Further, when asked if she intends to become a director or not, she answered with great thought that it requires immense hard work and dedication.