Shabana Azmi
Actress of parallel and mainstream cinema, five-time National Film Award winner
- Age
- 76 yrs
- Birthday in 318 days
- Works listed
- 7
- Film
- Honours
- 5
- Most recent 2012
- Profile views
- 2
- 0 followers
Shabana Azmi is one of India’s most acclaimed actresses, a leading figure of the parallel cinema movement who has won the National Film Award for Best Actress five times. She is also known for her social activism and served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha.
Biography
Parallel cinema
Her first released film, Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974), won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. She became a central figure of the parallel cinema movement in films such as Nishant, Mandi, Masoom and Paar, and won further National Awards for Arth (1982), Khandhar (1984), Paar (1985) and Godmother (1999) — a record five in all.
Across genres
She also worked in popular Hindi films and in international productions, and drew attention and controversy for Deepa Mehta’s Fire (1996). More recent films include Neerja (2016) and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023).
A family of artists
Shabana Azmi is the daughter of the Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi and stage actress Shaukat Azmi, and grew up in a home full of writers and activists. She studied psychology at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and trained in acting at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.
Activism and honours
Azmi has campaigned for the housing rights of slum dwellers in Mumbai, for communal harmony and for women’s rights, and was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 1997 to 2003. She received the Padma Shri in 1988 and the Padma Bhushan in 2012. She is married to the poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar.
Timeline
-
1950
Born in Hyderabad, Hyderabad State
-
1974
Ankur released
-
1975
First National Film Award
-
1982
Arth
-
1983
Masoom
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1984
Paar
-
1988
Padma Shri
-
1996
Fire
-
1997
Nominated to the Rajya Sabha
-
2012
Padma Bhushan
Notable works
-
1974
Ankur Film
-
1982
Arth Film
-
1983
Mandi Film
-
1983
Masoom Film
-
1984
Paar Film
-
1996
Fire Film
-
1999
Godmother Film
Awards and honours
-
National Film Award for Best Actress
1975 · Ankur.
-
National Film Award for Best Actress
1983 · Arth.
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Padma Shri
1988
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National Film Award for Best Actress
1999 · Godmother.
-
Padma Bhushan
2012
Did you know?
-
1
She has won the National Film Award for Best Actress a record five times.
-
2
Her father Kaifi Azmi was a celebrated Urdu poet.
-
3
She trained at the Film and Television Institute of India.
Connections
Related people
Also born on 18 September
Frequently asked
Who is Shabana Azmi?
Shabana Azmi is one of India’s most acclaimed actresses, a leading figure of the parallel cinema movement who has won the National Film Award for Best Actress five times. She is also known for her social activism and served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha.
How old is Shabana Azmi?
Shabana Azmi is 76 years old, born on 18 September 1950 in Hyderabad, Hyderabad State.
Where is Shabana Azmi from?
Shabana Azmi was born in Hyderabad, Hyderabad State.
What is Shabana Azmi known for?
Shabana Azmi is best known for Ankur, Arth, Mandi, Masoom, Paar, Fire, Godmother.
What awards has Shabana Azmi received?
Notable honours include National Film Award for Best Actress (1975), National Film Award for Best Actress (1983), Padma Shri (1988), National Film Award for Best Actress (1999).
Who is Shabana Azmi married to?
Spouse: Javed Akhtar (m. 1984).
References
- Shabana Azmi — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Shabana Azmi — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Shabana Azmi — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Shabana Azmi — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- Shabana Azmi (Q465863) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Shabana Azmi”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 2 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Shabana Azmi.” TrackFame, last updated 3 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/shabana-azmi
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