News miscellany

Here are a handful of tidbits from the news - what Shabana Azmi is up to these days:

• Shabana Azmi was one of the most enthusiastic cheerleaders for the campaign the resulted in the Taj Mahal being named a new wonder of the world. According to the Times of India, though, her work stumping for the Taj has only just begun. She wants to see more attention directed both to preserve the Taj Mahal and to make it more readily accessible to visitors. For Shabana ji, the Taj Mahal is a powerful symbol of Indian national pride. "We need to be made aware that the monument won't endure our complacency forever," she said. "And, yes, I intend to recreate a consciousness about its value to us."

• Also, IndiaPRwire reports that Deutschbank is offering a 40 lakh prize to recognize creative solutions to urban infrastructure problems, and Shabana ji will serve on the jury, along with an international collection of architects, urban planners, and others. It is undoubtedly Shabana ji's work with Nivara Haq, her organization that has built thousands of homes for displaced slum-dwellers, that earned her a spot on this committee.

• Finally, there is this very sweet video in which Shabana ji and her husband Javed Akhtar talk about their contributions to some paintings for a charity auction. Incidentally, I admire Javed sahib very much, and I consider that admiration to fall within the scope of this blog - so look for more about him in the future.