Shabana Azmi flew from London to Mumbai for just a day to keep her promise to perform Broken Images at her school’s 150th anniversary, despite a hectic Hollywood shoot. She said it was difficult but worth it, as her alma mater played a key role in shaping her
Shabana Azmi
Now you see her, now you don’t. That sums up the quick trip Shabana Azmi made from London to Mumbai on December 10, to honour the commitment she had made to her alma mater, Queen Mary School, in Grant Road. The senior actor had promised the school authorities that she would perform her play, Broken Images, on the institution’s 150th anniversary celebration. Even as it clashed with the ongoing shoot of her English film, Azmi stuck to her word.
A source said on Thursday, “Shabana has been shooting for an undisclosed film in Worcestershire in England from November 29. In the past few days, her shooting schedule changed, and to her dismay, it clashed with her school’s anniversary celebration. But the thorough professional that she is, she flew down for a day. She landed in Mumbai on the night of December 10, performed Broken Images on the evening of December 11, and within hours, she will head back to London.”
When mid-day contacted Azmi ahead of the performance, she said this is the least she could do for her school, which played an instrumental role in shaping her. “It was difficult, but I slept on the flight to beat the jet lag. The best years of my life were spent in school, and I can never dream of letting them down,” said the 75-year-old actor.
The joy of performing on stage was another incentive. Having successfully straddled theatre and movies for five decades, Azmi believes each tests the artiste in its own way. “The adrenaline that flows during a live performance requires sharp focus. In films, during a tight close-up, you can’t fake it because you’ll be caught. So, both have their own challenges. I was three months old when my mother Shaukat Kaifi would carry me to her Prithvi Theatre rehearsals. My love for theatre has come to me by osmosis,” she smiled.
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