Ahead of the film festival, MAMI’s director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur recalled that Shabana Azmi was also honoured at the same festival in 1999 after she completed 25 years in the industry. He said, “It is a privilege for MAMI to honour Shabana Azmi, an iconic actor, with the Excellence in Cinema Award this year. Her remarkable versatility and extraordinary body of work over 50 years, beginning with her award-winning debut in Ankur in 1974, has enriched the fabric of Indian cinema with some of the most memorable women characters. MAMI had the distinct pleasure of honouring her in 1999 for her remarkable contributions over 25 years, and we are fortunate to continue witnessing her work and celebrate her golden jubilee,” in a press note shared by the MAMI team.
Shabana Azmi will be next seen in Bun Tikki with Zeenat Aman and Abhay Deol.