Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has opened up about the criticism she and her husband, lyricist Javed Akhtar, have faced from Hindu and Muslim extremists. She said the couple has been targeted by people from both communities, with fatwas issued against them and accusations of terrorism levelled at them at times.
In an interview with Zoom, Shabana said, “Javed and I both have the credit that the intolerant sections of both communities cannot tolerate us. Both Hindu extremists and Muslim extremists. So, we feel that our secular thinking is proven.”
She further said that the couple has faced hostility from different quarters.
“Sometimes a cleric issues a fatwa against us, sometimes someone calls us a terrorist. I feel that we need to rise above the Hindu-Muslim narrative,” she said.
Shabana added that people should not allow themselves to be drawn into Hindu-Muslim conflicts. According to her, the real divide should be between liberal and extremist mindsets rather than between the two religious communities.
She said liberal Hindus and Muslims should come together, while intolerant people from both communities should be viewed as being on the other side. She added that this approach could help remove the “poison of religion” from society.
Shabana says ‘Batwara 1947’ failed because Sunny Deol played a Muslim
Shabana Azmi also recently spoke about her film Batwara 1947, which stars Sunny Deol. She claimed that the film failed at the box office because audiences could not accept Sunny playing a Muslim character.
The actress suggested that the actor’s established image may have made it difficult for viewers to accept him in the role.
The film’s director, Rajkumar Santoshi, opposed this. In an interview with Variety India, he said, “I don’t understand the meaning of this. Amitabh Bachchan played a Muslim hero in ‘Coolie’ (1983). Many of Manmohan Desai’s films had Muslim heroes.”
He further added, “Have we reached a phase where we cannot accept a hero from another community? We are sensible, good, and educated people. How can they say there is a big mistake in the film?”
Said – I want to adopt the good teachings of every religion
Rajkumar Santoshi said, “I am a Hindu. I go to the temple. My son’s name is Ram. I am not against any religion. But I want to adopt the good teachings of every religion.”
What was Shabana Azmi’s full statement?
Regarding the weak box office performance of ‘Partition: 1947’, Shabana Azmi told Zoom, “First of all, I am very surprised by the film’s total box office earnings, because there are people around me who come and say that they liked the film very much.”
She said, “They tell me that they liked the film’s message. Many of them believe that in today’s atmosphere, it is very important to talk about humanity. On the other hand, people did not go to the theaters, and those who did go to watch the film came out with a confused reaction. The problem is that people cannot accept Sunny Deol as a Muslim.”
Shabana’s question – Has Sunny played the character of a Pakistani?
Shabana Azmi said that even those who watched ‘Partition: 1947’ perhaps did not fully understand the film. She said, “I am surprised by the way people are reacting. Even those who watched the film think that Sunny Deol has played the character of a Pakistani. That is not the case. This fact is just not sinking into their minds properly.”
Shabana further added, “If people of both religions are not happy with the film, it means that it is something pure and beautiful.”
Two films of Shabana Azmi released together
Two films starring Shabana Azmi, Bantwara 1947 and Awarapan 2, were released together on 14 August. The film Bantwara 1947 was a flop, while Awarapan 2 has collected over ₹200 crore. Shabana Azmi has played a negative role in Awarapan 2.
