Shabana Azmi recalls Shashi Kapoor calling her 'stupid' on set
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi recently opened up about her experiences with the late actor Shashi Kapoor. Speaking to Zoom, she said, "The thing about Shashi is that he used to scold me. That was his way of showing affection." She also reflected upon the impact he had on her career and how he supported her personally and professionally. They acted together in films like Chor Sipahee, Atithee, and Oonch Neech Beech, among others.
Kapoor's tough love explained by Azmi
Azmi recounted an incident during the filming of the song Dil Mein Tujhe Bithakar for Fakira. The choreography involved intimate moves which made her uncomfortable. "I started crying. Suddenly, Shashi Kapoor was like, 'What's wrong with you', so I said, 'I can't do those scenes', he said, 'Why [did you] become an actress? Stupid girl,'" she recalled. A few hours later, though, he had the steps changed.
Azmi's childhood admiration for Kapoor
In the same interview, Azmi disclosed her long-standing admiration for Kapoor. She revealed that she had been a fan of Kapoor since she was nine years old. "Every Sunday I would go and I would get it signed. He's the only person whose autograph I took on his photograph." "For me, when I was suddenly cast opposite him in Hira Aur Patthar, it was completely unbelievable." The movie was released in 1977.
Kapoor's uncredited support for Azmi's activism
Azmi also shared an instance of his support during her hunger strike for slum dwellers' rights. Despite no one from the industry visiting her, Kapoor came to see her. "He went to SB Chavan, who was the CM then and he said, 'listen, the film industry does so much for you and one of the main people from our industry is on a hunger strike so you have to do something about it,' and that's how it was resolved."
Azmi's last interaction with her 'special' co-actor
The Makdee actor also recalled her last meeting with Kapoor. "When I saw him for the last time, he was in the hospital and when I looked at him, I knew I was meeting him for the last time because he had lost the will to live, which was very sad." "He was very special." The Deewar actor passed away in 2017 at the age of 79.
