“If you compare those graphic images to the outpouring of love and concern that came my way from my audience, it overwhelmed me so completely that nothing else mattered,” says Shabana Azmi from Budapest, Hungary, where she’s currently shooting for Steven Spielberg’s Halo. The veteran actor met with an accident on the Mumbai-Pune-Expressway a couple of months back. As her upcoming short film, Sheer Qorma, on same sex relationship is about to release, she opens up on the changing portrayal of homosexuality in Hindi cinema across decades. Excerpts:
You met with a road accident in January. How is your health now?
I am completely fine and have fully recovered. Currently, I am in Budapest shooting for Halo (produced by Steven Spielberg) and I am happy to be back on the sets.
Pictures of the unfortunate incident were circulated on social media. Many felt that it was insensitive and intrusive. Did that bother you?
My family was upset. It was kept away from me for the longest time as I didn’t have my cellphone. When I saw it, I was on my way to recovery. At that moment, I was just really grateful to those who helped me and the hospital staff.
Right from Fire (1996), the release of which was opposed and banned, to Sheer Qorma now, how do you think the portrayal of the LGBTQ community in Hindi cinema has changed?
I have to say that this genre has opened up, really. The frequency of films that deal with a sensitive subject like homosexuality are being made, have increased in the last few years which is a great sign. The audience, too, is accepting this kind of cinema. Earlier, homosexuality was ridiculed in mainstream cinema but now, we see this subject being tackled sensitively. But at the same time, I feel it is only a section of audience especially in the metros who has have accepted this change.
{{/usCountry}}I have to say that this genre has opened up, really. The frequency of films that deal with a sensitive subject like homosexuality are being made, have increased in the last few years which is a great sign. The audience, too, is accepting this kind of cinema. Earlier, homosexuality was ridiculed in mainstream cinema but now, we see this subject being tackled sensitively. But at the same time, I feel it is only a section of audience especially in the metros who has have accepted this change.
{{/usCountry}}What would you attribute this change to?
The notion of a family is changing. It is no longer just a heterogeneous family that we accept as a norm. We have seen two partners of the same sex having a baby and I think it is a healthy sign. The notion of family is being redefined as it is no longer restricted to having a baby biologically.
What do you think about mainstream actors working in films dealing with sensitive subjects?
I always believe that films are a reflection of our society and good films can influence society. There is a relation but there is an acceptance, too, and that has to be applauded. Actors today, aren’t shying away from experimenting.
The credit should also go to the producer who is ready to back a film on a sensitive subject and the writer who writes the script. The Supreme Court’s decision of scrapping Section 377 was a big propeller towards positively changing the perspective that people had towards the LGBTQ community. It is a great time to be an actor. Gender and age are no longer considered while casting someone.
In a career spanning over 45 years, have you ever faced sexism and ageism?
I have been extremely lucky and my career has always been about being at the right place at the right time. It was my good fortune that Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974) became the film that propelled parallel cinema forward. Consequently, I got many different roles from what I would have got had I worked only in mainstream cinema. I never faced lack of acceptance.
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