A biography for Shabana Azmihasn’t been written yet.
“In times of crisis the artist must rise to the challenge and try to make sense from the chaos.”
“I have been called a terrorist, among other things. In fact, I am seen in India as being anti-Islamic by the Islamic fundamentalists.”
“I grew up in a family that believed that art should be used as an instrument for social change.”
“I don't see the point of having a favorite sari or a favorite outfit if I know that I won't repeat it. I'm glad Kate Middleton has been repeating her outfits and talking about sustainable fashion. Celebrities must set an example and repeat their clothes.”
“For a long time I didn't believe that I couldn't become a mother. But when I finally came to terms with it, then I didn't look back.”
“I am quite proud of being in Parliament, I actually love it.”
“Hindi cinema needs to make working women and women of substance more visible.”
“Earlier, there were only two hairstyles. If the hero had a fringe, he was village bumpkin. If he slicked his hair back, he was an urban sophisticate.”
“Why is a woman always judged only on the basis of her relationship with her family members and the time she gives them, and not on the basis of her success at work?”
“A woman director is not obliged to make a feminist film. She can make what she wants, a thriller, an action film, a comedy, or whatever, but hopefully, she will be informed by a gaze that is female.”
“For a country such as India, whose public healthcare system is already severely strained, the lack of awareness and adaptation of safe practices by menstruating women is known to add another dimension to the overall problem.”
“I've done whatever I've been compelled to do, and I've done it all to the best of my abilities. If I've been recognized or honored for what I've done then those are bonuses, not the reason for doing what I did.”
“As an actor I have a cushy position because everything gets set up for me. I am only needed to learn my lines , take the light, hit my mark and rev up the emotion.”
“I find it amusing that every time I was asked when I will work with Zoya or Farhan, I was quoted as saying, 'It will be easier to convince Steven Spielberg to cast me rather than my own children.' That has come true.”
“India is a beautiful country. Any attempt to divide people cannot be good for this country.”
“Valentine's day has been reduced to a marketing gimmick. Buying diamonds for your beloved has no appeal for me.”
“Until the age of 19, I lived in the Communist Party commune where eight families lived in 180 to 200 square feet of space. In that world, social justice was a given. We grew up valuing that.”
“I am on a strict diet now and medication. It's torture, I simply cannot eat every two hours, which is the way all nutrition plans work these days. I lose weight but the minute I start eating again, I rapidly put it back.”
“I can't describe fear as well as I can describe courage. Courage is when you overcome fear.”
“We never had money but it was never a problem. The spirit of comradeship, the commitment to gender equality, social justice and a celebration of pluralism and India's composite culture provided the glue that kept us joyous and closely bonded.”