Vidya Balan shares heartfelt note as Shabana Azmi completes 50 years in Cinema, calls her ‘strongest influence’

Shabana Azmi is one of the most acclaimed actors in Indian Cinema, having given us extraordinary performances over the course of her decades-long career. One of her biggest fans happens to me actor Vidya Balan, who has now shared a special tribute for the veteran actor as she completes 50 years in Cinema. (Also read: Shabana Azmi says society makes you feel ‘incomplete’ if you can't have children: ‘You have to work hard to…’)

What Vidya said

In a special voice message which was posted by Zoya Akhtar's production house Tiger Baby's Instagram account, Vidya shared a minute-long message for Shabana. She began by saying, “How can I possibly choose one favourite Shabana Azmi performance? Shabana Azmi has probably had the strongest influence on me as an actor. She was the first actor to make me realize that women could have a voice on screen.”

Vidya went on to give the example of a scene in Arth (1982), which fetched Shabana a National Award for Best Actress. Vidya shared how this telephone scene where her character calls and begs had a big impression on her. She also took the example of two scenes from Masoom (1983), where her character reacts with such truth to the changing circumstances.

‘No one like her truly’

Vidya ended her note by saying, "I think sometimes when you watch a performance, you feel that, of course, these are beautiful lines, but that actor has brought a truth to it that very rarely do you see those kinds of moments in a performance. So that’s my love for Shabana ji. No one like her, truly.”

Shabana made her acting debut with Shyam Benegal’s debut film Ankur (1974), for which she won her first National Award. She is the only actor to win it five times, also for Khandhar, Paar, and Godmother. She was last seen in Rocky Aur Rani kii Prem Kahaani, for which she won a Filmfare Award. Fans will see her next in Bun Tikki, also starring Zeenat Aman.