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Shabana Azmi says 'chid aati hain' when young women say they are not feminists: 'Koi samajh hi nahi hain'
Shabana Azmi shared a hilarious incident when a woman questioned her for ironing husband Javed Akhtar's kurta and calling herself a feminist.
Shabana Azmi is one of the most revered actors in Indian Cinema, who starred in films that talked about social reform. She is also credited for paving the way for female actors to get roles of substance through her career in parallel cinema. In an interview with Faye D' Souza on her Youtube Channel, Shabana said she feels ‘irritated’ when young women say they are not feminists. The veteran actor then shared what according to her is feminism. (Also read: Shabana Azmi says society makes you feel ‘incomplete’ if you can't have children: ‘You have to work hard to…’)
What Shabana said
Shabana said, “Itni chid aati hain na mujhe… itni chid aati hain. Kyuki koi samajh hi nahi hain ki feminist ka matlab kya hain. They are still associating with the bra-burning woman, they don't know anything (I get very irritated. There is no understanding about what it means). I will tell an interesting incident when I was in America and I was ironing Javed [Akhtar]'s Kurta, and this woman said, ‘You call yourself a feminist and you are ironing husband’s kurta?' When I said what has this got to do with feminism then she said, ‘Meaning? Will he iron your sari?’ I said, ‘I will never let him do that!’ Iski understanding bahot hi weak, kamzor hain. Kya matlab ki ‘I am not a feminist’? Have you even thought about it? There is no clarity.”
Shabana on feminism
When Shabana was asked what according to her is feminism, she said, “Everything. The whole gaze in the way which you view the world is different. Men and women are different. Not better, not worse. That difference needs to be celebrated. Equal but different. For far too long, the world has solutions to all problems from the male point of view. So we have to say that we have to be included in that dialogue and force our way… You have to have your place at the table.”
Shabana recently won the Excellence in Cinema award at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, which was presented to her by Waheeda Rehman. The actor was last seen in Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani, for which she won Filmfare and IIFA awards.
