Quotes from Shabana Azmi

Kangana has started believing in her own myth. She says she taught feminism to the film industry, she taught it nationalism. I'm glad she spelled that out because nobody else had noticed! I think she fears the day when she will no longer be in the headlines and so has to keep making outrageous statements to stay in the news.

For me, be it 'Arth' or 'Libaas' or 'Masoom,' there has always been space to break stereotypes or social constructs and perform beyond the norm. It happened all through my career and I am happy it did.

My casting in 'Halo' produced by Steven Spielberg, which I am doing, is just color-blind casting; Asians have been questioning why best roles should not come to them and I am so happy about this color-blind casting. I am going to be just what I am in that film.

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.

Acting in itself is changing. This change is because of the advent of the casting director. Earlier, there would be stock characters, who would be seen in every film. Now, casting directors are bringing fresh faces.

Immunization protects India's children and, I stress, saves them from vaccine-preventable illnesses and deaths. Vaccines are not meant to harm our children.

Valentine's day has been reduced to a marketing gimmick. Buying diamonds for your beloved has no appeal for me.

I am an optimist and my father was an optimist.

I can't describe fear as well as I can describe courage. Courage is when you overcome fear.

I like having family and friends around me. Our house is always overflowing with guests.

At the age of seven, I wanted a doll with blonde hair and blue eyes like other girls in my class. But my father gave me a black doll and said 'black is beautiful.' Telling this to a seven-year-old was quite peculiar, but these were the values we inherited from him.

Look at poor Nirupa Roy. She got substantial roles, but at 30 they made her put grey in her hair. And Achala Sachdev was all of 16 when she played 60. She quit because she got nightmares about dropping a thali and screaming, 'Nahin!' You know an actor or any other human being needs to be comfortable in her space at whatever age she is.

I am extremely proud of the fact that I have acted in art films.

Smartphones have ensured connectivity like never before. We are bombarded with information on 24/7 television and other new sources. We are in constant touch with each other, communicating via technology.

Some parents are ambivalent about vaccination after reading misinformed pieces and watching misleading videos on a popular mobile chat application. By electing to avoid vaccinating their child, they are denying their child's right to be protected against these severe diseases.

Earlier at 30, a girl's career was over. Now, all of our top actresses are above 30 and doing well.

Dissent in art is a fundamental right. But if it is dissent about a book, a piece of art, and if you don't like it, you have the right to express your views outside the theatre, but you cannot create a law and order situation. Then the state has to step in.

In Kaifi's poetry and in his work as a social activist, every setback only strengthened his resolve to fight back with renewed vigor and strength.

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.

Hindi cinema needs to make working women and women of substance more visible.

I was very nervous about speaking in Punjabi. I have learnt it by heart.