Shabana Azmis cinematic choices are a reflection of her ideologies and matters close to her heart. She, for decades, represented the Indian Parallel Cinema Movement of the 1970s and 1980s. An Indian film and theater actress, Shabana Azmi has worked with celebrated art-house filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Bimal Roy, Shyam Benegal and Aparna Sen. Through her films, the actress has attempted to bring to light many societal issues like women exploitation, problems of minorities and communalism. In a career spanning 40 years, Azmi has appeared in some path-breaking films such as Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), Sparsh (1980), Arth (1982), and Godmother (1999). For her contribution to the field of performing arts, the multiple National Film Award recipient was honored with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, in 1988, and with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in 2012.
Apart from being an actress par excellence, Shabana Azmi is a passionate philanthropist and has been extremely vocal about womens rights. A Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations Population Fund, she is also a member of the Rajya Sabha.