Shabana ji on the nature of classiness

Ican’t call myself classy, it’s for other people to say that. I can only say that this is what I have seen, this is what I have imbibed, and this is how I am. 
 -- Shabana Azmi

This from an article in Forbes India online, where Shabana ji talks about what makes her - and some of the characters she has played - so gosh darn classy.   She goes on to say:

[Class] has to do with dignity, subtlety, with a layered subtext where much more is expressed because it is hidden. It’s got very little to with wealth and money, and much more to do with an attitude that comes from being comfortable in your own skin.

I have to agree with that, and it's part of why women often seem to get classier with age - comfort in one's own skin often goes hand in hand with maturity.

I am not sure I can agree completely with Shabana ji about this part, though:

But it’s when you’re not doing it for public consumption that counts. Like eating. When I’m by myself and nobody’s watching, do I gobble up my food? Do I eat it elegantly? Do I behave in the same way when there are people for whom I want to put my best foot forward?

I just don't think the table manners I use when I am alone are a particularly relevant measure of my quality as a person.  I'd rather expend energy worrying about how I treat others than about whether I'm a bit of a slob in my pajamas alone at the kitchen table.  Put another way, I only have so much energy to expend on self-improvement, and I don't see anything wrong with conserving that energy for behaviors that actually have a measurable effect on others. 

That quibble aside, there is no doubt that Shabana Azmi does know something about class. 

Have a look at the article - both the mesmerizing pictures I have included here (Shabana ji with Javed sahib, above, and Kaifi sahib, below) are from it. 

Healing with ... what?

I saw this press release the other day that reported Shabana Azmi taking enthusiastic part in a book launch for "well-known homeopath Dr. Mukesh Batra." (I have shamelessly cropped Dr. Batra and others out of the above picture; please follow the link to see it.) Shabana ji said at the event that she believes in homeopathy, and praised Dr. Batra for helping relieve her pain and speeding the healing when she suffered a leg fracture. She also credited him for her beautiful skin.

The press release gave me pause. To me, the word "homeopathy" refers to the use of hyper-dilute "solutions" in which nothing is left of any active ingredient other than some mystical molecular memory. I believe this is utter quackery, snake oil of the lowest order. It includes such arrant nonsense as the claim that these solutions become more effective as they become more dilute. In short, I think it's rubbish, and that purveyors of it should be prosecuted, not praised.

But I did some research before sitting down to write this post, because I know that the term "homeopathy" has a broader usage as well, that refers to a wider variety of what we in the West sometimes call "alternative" medicine, natural medicine, or holistic medicine. That is far too broad of a scope for me (even as a fairly narrow-minded rationalist) to dismiss out of hand. Reading the press release, it sounds to me like Shabana ji, Dr. Batra, and his book are using the word in this broader sense. I did a sanity check with an Indian friend of mine, who also understood the word that way (and spoke very highly of her own experience with practitioners).

If Shabana ji believes that she has been helped by such natural and holistic remedies, I have no quibble with that, and no concern for either her good sense or her well-being. I would worry about someone who would reject scientifically-developed treatments for serious ailments - I wouldn't mess around with cancer, for example - but for pain remedies, or mild stimulation, or treating cold symptoms and the like, I can readily believe that natural remedies are often as effective (if not more so in some cases) than pharmaceuticals. So, it was just the term "homeopathy" - its two very different meanings - that threw me in this case.

This video puff piece has some more about Shabana ji's relationship with Dr. Batra, and some clips of both Shabana ji and Javed Akhtar looking wonderful.

Cutting a rug at Love, Breakup, Zindagi music launch

Shabana Azmi was spotted earlier this week letting loose at the music launch for her friend Dia Mirza's new movie, Love Breakups Zindagi. Here is the story at Daily Bhaksar, also carried by other sources.



How cute is that?



More pictures of the launch here at Prokerala.

Javed sahib wrote the lyrics for the songs, which I haven't listened to yet. He was at the launch too, of course.


(Picture source)

"Massive Food Coma"

"Am suffering from massive food coma from Eid at our home and Ganesh Chaturthi at my sis in law Tanvi's place"

-- Shabana Azmi

Did you know that both Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar are on Twitter? I am not a huge Twitter user myself - I have tried to get into it but (probably for the best) haven't ever managed to get too engaged. But, I do participate from time to time (@carla_filmigeek) - and of course I follow @AzmiShabana and @Javedakhtarjadu. It's fun to see what they have to say, and to test my Urdu on the shayari (Javed sahib's, Kaifi sahib's, and others) that they occasionally offer.

Today on Twitter, Shabanaji complains of "food coma," an affliction with which I am all too familiar, and a phrase for describing it that I often use myself. It's fun to see her using the expression as well. I'll continue to pass along her thoughts and Javed sahib's here when they tickle my fancy.

Trivia: Written just for her

It seemed like a nice time for another installment of SLP's semi-regular trivia feature.

Should Shabana Azmi ever retire from the movies, I have a fantasy about her final film. My fantasy is that Javed Akhtar will write a script just for Shabana ji and she will win her sixth National Film Award for the role.

As it happens, Javed Akhtar considers himself rather a man's scriptwriter, and probably has no tour-de-force role for his wife lurking, as yet unwritten, in his pen. He has, however, written two films (that I know of) in which Shabana ji has starred. Can you name them?

Here is a hint:



This is a screencap from one of them, which I watched last week; the review will be going up at Filmi Geek in a couple of days, followed by more screencaps here.

Rock On - music launch

Yesterday Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar were at the music launch for Farhan Akhtar's upcoming film, Rock On. Farhan is not the director of this film - he's its star. Apparently he enjoyed making the film quite a bit. It seems there's nothing Farhan cannot do - he sang his own songs for the film, and gave a rocking performance at the launch. Here is a blog post with lots more about the launch.



That's Javed sahib and Shabana ji at the launch, with Shabana ji's sister-in-law Tanvi Azmi. I am not sure who the woman on the left is but I am going to guess that she is Tanvi's daughter.

Getting her smooch on

In fact my husband complains that I've done a kissing scene with a man in another movie and I don't look as convincing as I do with Nandita [Das], and he wants to know what that's all about.

-- Shabana Azmi

Source: a fab interview posted here on the BollyWHAT? forum; I don't have the original source, but the interview is probably about 4 years old.

This comment made me spit out my coffee the first time I read it and still tickles me. But I've always wondered, what movie does it refer to? I didn't think it was this, from Fakira...



... because as cute and tasty as that is, the screencap is actually a little misleading; this kiss happens as the two actors are turning away from the camera and, in motion, is really more of a Bollywood-ishtyle simulacrum of a kiss than it looks in the still.

Well I have, by the wonderful magic of YouTube, accidentally stumbled upon the following, which is probably the scene Shabana ji was talking about in the above-quoted remark. Hold onto your socks, folks; wait for the second half of the clip.



Oh my! That is from the 1992 British film with the unpromising title Immaculate Conception, a film about which I know absolutely nothing. Have any of you seen it? At any rate, as startling as the clip is, I am inclined to agree with Javed sahib: Fire was more convincing.

This time I am sure who it is

Okay, this is the earliest picture of Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar that I have yet to see. In contrast to a similar previous post in which I made a total ass of myself with one of my more boneheaded factual errors, this time I will restrain my squee to a more dignified pitch.



They are completely gorgeous, though, are they not?

A royal invitation

This is a funny story. Times of India reports that Prince Charles has invited Shabana Azmi (along with Javed Akhtar and a number of other Indian luminaries) for a four-day stay at Buckingham Palace to discuss cooperation between the UK and India regarding charitable causes.

Shabana ji's fellow guests include industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Laxmi Mittal and Ratan Tata.

The tone of the TOI piece suggests that Shabana ji is rather bemused at the invitation. "I really don’t know how these opportunities come my way," she said. "They just seem to fall into my lap."

Family portrait

... make that "Exceptionally beautiful family portrait."



Isn't that just lovely? Click the image to see it in all its full-sized glory.

The populist poet

I have always aimed at making poetry understandable even to a person who does not have the remotest idea of the art. If I can't communicate my lines to people what's the use of making it public?

Source: This interview on Glamsham. In the above comment Javed Akhtar sahib sums up what I admire most about his work: it is poetic, evocative, and original, while still being accessible. As a learner of Hindi I particularly appreciate this, as I can both understand his writing and appreciate its cleverness.

In the interview Javed sahib also makes his favorite joke about his marriage to Shabana Azmi:

Our friendship is so strong that even marriage could not ruin it.

Thanks to Steena at the BollyWHAT forums for calling the interview to my attention.

Why I keep this blog

So I don't miss wonderful things like this:



Thanks so much to reader fanatica de peliculas for the heads-up about this beyond-delicious video. After I finished squeeing I caught my breath and prepared this quick-and-dirty translation of the voice-over. Usual caveats - it's not entirely literal, and I'm just a learner so there are probably some errors. But you get the gist.

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar's entire family was together with them, drenched in Holi fun. Just like every year, this year's Holi celebration at their house was a great time. Several of their friends from the Bollywood world were with them sharing the Holi joy. But Shabana Azmi got into the Holi spirit even more than everyone else.

Don't feel bad - it's Holi ! Shabana Azmi and her family were saying this to everyone. Just like every year, this year Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar went all out to celebrate Holi. Many of their friends came and completely enjoyed the festival as well. The Holi colors covered Shabana Azmi beautifully. Everyone who came to this party had a very special Holi. Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar celebrated with complete abandon. And watching them, their friends could not help but join in. It made for a memorable Holi indeed.

More Holi

Greta graciously provided a link to pictures from this year's Holi party at Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar's place, and she was right - I love 'em. For some reason the magnificent pair once again neglected to invite me to their famous bash, but at least I have the beautiful pictures, and there's always next year.





Been busy with various projects but I will have a news roundup post for you in the next day or two, as well as the results from the very exciting March poll, and a really fun video that a reader alerted me to which I'll highlight as soon as I get a chance to translate it. Thanks for reading everyone! I'm always delighted to hear from you, so please keep leaving comments!

Holi he!

Hope all of you who celebrate had a joyous and colorful Holi. It looks like Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar their own approximately annual Holi bash this year. I haven't seen any pictures of it yet, so here's one from last year.

I will update if I see some new snaps from this year's party.

Omigod, gorgeous!

... and I am not talking about Shabana Azmi.



That is Javed Akhtar, isn't it? I've never seen a picture of Javed sahib from that era. Oh my stars and garters, what a beautiful man. No wonder Shabana ji lost her head.

This picture comes from a most amazing collection of pictures of Shabana that was brought to my attention by HemaMalini of the BollyWHAT forums (not that Hema Malini, just someone named in her honor :D). The collection is full of shots I have never seen before. I could give you the link to the collection but ... that would just spoil my fun (*). Instead, stay tuned, and I'll post the highlights here over the weeks to come.

(*) Okay, if you ask me nice I'll share it with you.

o.O

I hate to have to criticize Shabana Azmi, it just pains me. But her usually-impeccable fashion sense has led her seriously astray at the Jodhaa-Akbar premiere, and if I won't point it out, who will? (Actually the folks I mentioned here probably will, but that won't stop me.)



I am not any kind of fashionista but this outfit is just bizarre. Nothing in this peculiar pastiche bears any relationship to anything else. Even the individual parts are at war with themselves - the choli's harlequin body and paisley sleeve are at odds, the body of the sari disagrees with its border. What is going on?

Javed sahib got a little color on for the occasion, and he looks positively dashing:



But I just have to wonder why Shabana brought the bedspread along. Maybe the two of them were planning to have a little romp in the back row when the movie got boring?

Farhan Akhtar's promotional event

I had in my automated news searches a few reports about a promotional event for watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne, a company with which Farhan Akhtar is affiliated; his whole family came out to stump for him. (The Times of India article linked above includes Kaifi Azmi in the list of family members who made it to the event; somehow I don't think Kaifi sahib was really up to it.) I didn't think the stories themselves were interesting enough to warrant mention here but dormeg found a picture that caught my attention for a couple of reasons.



Javed sahib, Shabana ji, and Farhan Akhtar you will of course recognize. On the left is Tanvi Azmi, Shabana ji's sister in law (Baba Azmi's wife), who is a noted television (and to a lesser extent film) actor. I very rarely seem to see news from that quarter of Shabana ji's family so it's interesting to me to see her turning up here, and she's lovely. (I don't know who the gentleman on the right is; presumably some A. Lange & Söhne executive.)

The other thing that caught my attention about this picture is that Shabana ji is wearing the very same sari that was ripped to shreds (figuratively) by the fashionistas I mentioned in this post. So even if Shabana ji (or her staff) does monitor critiques published on the internet - hardly likely - she is showing the courage of her fashion convictions when it comes to this sari. For the record: it's not my favorite; I've seen her in much better. She still looks great though! Farhan and his dad look very fine as well.

Javed Akhtar on Hindi films

Dreams don’t offer realism . . . but they are relevant nonetheless as they are often a reflection of our thoughts. In a way, cinema is like a relevant dream as well . . . on decoding it one can unearth the collective psyche of the society.

-- Javed Akhtar

Source: An agencyFAQs report on a talk Javed sahib gave in Mumbai a couple of weeks ago. In addition to the lovely analogy reproduced above, he also made some very interesting and provocative - arguably more provocative than strictly accurate - comments on the history of Hindi films, and in particular of the portrayal of Muslims in Hindi films.

Here's another excerpt:

Further, he insightfully declared that for several years after partition, no film with a Muslim protagonist was made. Finally, in 1960, ‘Chaudhvin Ka Chand’ came along which broke this trend, followed by ‘Mere Mehboob’, both of which has Muslim characters as heroes. “These films, to my mind, were dangerous, because they created ‘Super Muslims’ or unreal Muslims,” Akhtar stated. For instance, such films showed Muslims to be understandably pathans or nawabs living in large ‘havelis’, who talked only in poetic lingo, wore sherwanis all day long, indulged in Mujras/brothels, and sported beautiful women at their arms. “This created a world that never existed!” exclaimed Akhtar.

So then, one saw the era of two categories of Muslims. “The first was who we saw on cinema. The second was my neighbour – an owner of a cycle shop,” smiled Akhtar. This real life Muslim then started believing that his ancestors may have really led the kind of life shown on screen. “As one can see, both these Muslims were far away from reality,” Akhtar said.

It's a nice tight theory, except that there were plenty of films about Muslim characters in the 1950s, as Javed sahib is surely well aware. It would be interesting to ask him how to account for those, or distinguish them as exceptions to his main point. Still, it's an interesting read.

News roundup

Hi all. The best laid schemes of an industrious carla oft go awry; I spent a week in the country as planned, but the satellite internet connection was down, leaving me unable to browse the Shabana Azmi news and collect the best tidbits for you. Here, then, is a late roundup.

Times of India reports that Shabana ji would like to play the late Benazir Bhutto. Apparently some 15 years ago there was a fledgling plan for a Tariq Ali film in which she would do just that; with Ms. Bhutto's recent assassination there may be renewed interest in this project. It's been pointed out to me before that there is a strong resemblance between the two women; from her comments in the article, I'd say that Shabana ji also seems aware of this. I don't want to say too much about Ms. Bhutto here and now, but I will say that if the time and the project is right, it is a casting I would very much like to see.

Shabana ji covers a range of topics in an interview with Subhash K. Jha. I believe that parts of this interview are recycled from last year - Subhash must have been on deadline. Toward the end, Shabana ji asks Subhash to teach her to cook ("Please Subhash, mujhe khana pakana sikha do.") You know, I'm quite a decent cook and I'd be happy to give Shabana ji an afternoon of my time. I've even prepared the recipe in this article.

This isn't really news about Shabana ji, rather an interesting mention of her. She is quoted in a very interesting recent editorial in Hindustan Times on the issue of achieving a secular Uniform Civil Code.

Our friend Aspi admires Javed Akhtar but is feeling a little bit overexposed of late.

Javed sahib has written his own glowing review of the music of Taare zameen par. I enjoyed this review because I loved the movie and even though it's a bit manipulative, I've been listening to the soundtrack obsessively since I saw the film. The lyrics have struck me as a little reminiscent of Javed sahib's, especially in the title song, which features sequences of similes beginning with "jaise" that remind me of Javed sahib's "Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa lagaa ..."

That's all for now - I wish all of you a safe and warm New Year (I guess it's already 2008 for some of you), and I'll see you next year.

The clothes make the man

Shabana transformed me into a compulsive kurtawalla. The kurta, Shabana, and I have remained together ever since.

-- Javed Akhtar

Source: Bollyvista (with thanks to Specsy at the BollyWHAT? forums). I had noticed that in the few pictures I'd seen of Javed sahib in the 1970s, he wore western clothes, while today he always wears kurta-pajama and a Nehru vest. I'd wondered when he made the change, and why - was it a semi-political statement? Was it because the kurta-pajama was more comfy as he grew a little around the middle? But now we know - it's because Shabana ji thinks a guy in traditional clothes is sexy.