Dabba Cartel EXCLUSIVE: Shabana Azmi on Zoya Akhtar’s dislike for ‘female director’ tag; ‘I have had many arguments…’

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Actress Shabana Azmi recently appeared in the Netflix series “Dabba Cartel,” sharing screen time with Jyotika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Anjali Anand, and others. This show delves into the lives of ordinary women who operate a questionable lunch box service as its central theme. In an interview with TopMob, Azmi discussed the term ‘women-centric,’ expressing that Zoya Akhtar finds the label ‘female director’ inappropriate. She admitted that they have had disagreements on this subject.

During a conversation with TopMob, Shabana Azmi was questioned about the appropriateness of labeling projects as ‘women-focused’ in current times. In her response, she mentioned numerous debates she’s had with Zoya Akhtar on this topic. She explained that Zoya is not fond of such labels and prefers not to be referred to as a female director.

Azmi went on to say, “I often ponder about this topic since women seem to be underrepresented and yet they’re the ones steering and spearheading… I believe it is crucial to highlight this fact for the audience. Eventually, I hope we reach a point where such representation becomes standard, but for now, we’re making progress towards becoming more noticeable.

Watch the full interview here!

When asked if the term ‘women-centric’ might no longer be used if we discontinue it, Shabana Azmi replied, “Not at all; we are still on a long, distant journey.

In her continued discussion, the Dabba Cartel actress added, “Zoya questioned, ‘Why must I be labeled as a woman filmmaker?’ To which I replied, ‘I believe it’s crucial.’ I feel that men and women are distinct, not superior or inferior, but unique. This distinction should be recognized and valued. Therefore, it’s not about selecting themes exclusive to strong women or one type of woman. She could be a thief, a queen, a slum resident, dealing with crime, or any other subject. However, the perspective should ideally be female.

Shabana Azmi pointed out that, for a considerable period, the artistic world has primarily been shaped through a masculine perspective.

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2025-03-03 20:07