Shabana Azmi was honoured with the Excellence in Cinema Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival 2024 on Friday. The actress has recently completed 50 years in the film industry. The award was presented by another legendary actress, Waheeda Rehman. On Saturday, Priyanka Chopra shared a special note on her Instagram Stories to congratulate the veteran actress. The global icon posted an image of Shabana Azmi. The side note read, “Congratulations to you Shabana ma'am on winning the #ExcellenceInCinema award at the #MAMIMumbaiFilmFestival2024.”
After receiving the coveted award, Shabana Azmi said, “Filmmaking is a collaborative medium. Actors get most of the prominence because they are in front of the camera, but they know there's a whole team behind the scenes working to enhance strengths and cover weaknesses. Film is a director's medium. I've never been able to rise above the director or the role. So, I want to thank all the directors I've worked with, from Shyam Benegal to Steven Spielberg.”
The veteran actress also shared an image of the special moment on Instagram. In the snap, we could spot Shabana Azmi and Waheeda Rehman on stage. The caption read, “Thank you to MAMI Mumbai Film Festival for presenting me with the Excellence in Cinema Award made all the more special because the wonderful #Waheeda Rehman handed it to me . Thank you also to Zoya Akhtar Tiger Baby team and #Namrata Goyal for all the hard work they put in . Missed you #Shyam Benegal.” Check out the post below:
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.