Shabana Azmi opens up on her future projects, reveals female actors are now no longer a decoration piece in films – Times of India

In an interaction with Filmy Shilmy, the prolific actor said that this is a great transition phase in the industry and female leads are thankfully not just reduced to a showpiece in movies. She said, “When I did Arth, it was a struggle with the end—the distributors said it was a wonderful film, but an Indian wife to say no to her husband, won’t be accepted, and it turns out that’s what they celebrated. Often, filmmakers are not in touch with what audiences are ready to view. She added, “They (female actors) want to do something substantial, they don’t want to be an appendage to the heroes, just wearing beautiful clothes. You have to shake patriarchy, and shake it off.”

The actor also spoke about her forthcoming project Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, in which she will be paired opposite Dharmendra. The movie stars Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh in lead roles. Opening up on her pairing with the veteran actor, Shabana said, “Karan Johar is a dedicated Hindi film fan. Definitely, the whole idea of romance between me and Dharmendra’s character, is based on little snippets on Hindi films…so you will feast on what he’s got there. I can’t reveal too much, but it is certainly there.”
Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, directed by Karan Johar will release in July this year.