Five underrated performances of Shabana Azmi to watch if you loved ‘Dabba Cartel‘

Prattusa Mallik

Doosri Dulhan (1983)

The actress plays the role of Chanda, a prostitute who acts as a surrogate mother, navigating the dynamic range of the character with ease.

15 Park Avenue (2005)

Shabana plays the role of protagonist Mithi’s older, divorced sister Anjali aka Anu, who is a professor. The actress‘ performance is not only significant in itself but also accentuates the performance of Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead.

Neerja (2016)

Her poignant portrayal of Rama Bhanot, the mother of flight attendant-turned-matryr Neerja Bhanot, is a lesson in how resilience can be portrayed on screen.

Sonata (2017)

The actress’ performance in the role of Dolon — a Bengali woman in her 50s, who, in her own words, “sways through life” — is one-of-a-kind. She also recorded two Rabindra sangeets for the film, which are impeccable.

Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani (2023)

Shabana Azmi took away our breaths in the role of Jamini, the beautiful grandmother of Rani Chatterjee (played by Alia Bhatt). She essayed the role with such poise that despite the possibility of controversy, the romance between her and Dharmendra’s character won hearts.

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