Geek's Guide to Shabana Azmi: Introduction

In a recent post I promised you the Geek's Guide to Shabana Azmi - my non-definitive, entirely subjective categorization of those films of Shabana ji's that I have seen. This post is an introduction to the Geek's Guide.

The Guide breaks Shabana ji's work into four categories. Iconic roles are those career-defining films that encapsulate the essence of Shabana ji's on-screen presence, iconic of both the woman herself and of her place in Hindi films. Cog in a brilliant machine applies to outstanding films in which Shabana ji played a secondary or ensemble role. Solid starrers are films that, even though Shabana ji's character is the focus of the story, are for whatever reason slightly less awesome than those that deserve iconic status. And, finally, there is Eh, a category for films that are just not that great (even Shabana Azmi has been in a few duds), or in which I feel that Shabana ji was wasted.

I emphasize that these categories are subjective, just the result of my own critical thinking about the film's I've seen. I offer the Geek's Guide as a starting point for discussion and exploration. I hope it will be interesting and helpful to those seeking further exposure to Shabana Azmi's career, but who might be unsure where to turn when faced with a filmography of 140 movies spanning three-and-a-half decades. I'll update the Geek's Guide from time to time as I continue watching Shabana ji's films.

• Geek's Guide part 1: Iconic Roles

• Geek's Guide part 2: Cog in a Brilliant Machine

• Geek's Guide part 3: Solid Starrers

• Geek's Guide part 4: Eh