‘Never Imagined a Role Like ‘Rocky Aur Rani...’ Would Come to Me’: Shabana Azmi

Shabana Azmi, creator Shibani Akhtar, and other cast of 'Dabba Cartel' talk about the show.

The cast of Netflix's Dabba Cartel.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

The cast of Dabba Cartel, Shabana Azmi, Anjali Anand, Shalini Pandey, and Jyothika, and creator Shibani Akhtar sat down with The Quint to talk about their show, how they feel connected to Mumbai, the changing landscape of the Indian film industry, and more.

Pandey, who grew up in Jabalpur, said, "I grew up in Jabalpur wanting to be an actress. I had to convince my parents but they weren't very sure if I would be okay alone. I had to come to Mumbai and it has given me everything - my individuality, my freedom, and the space where I work. It's home."

"She ran away from home to come to Mumbai," Shabana Azmi added.

Talking about Dabba Cartel, Akhtar said, "When we set out to make this show, we were sure we wanted it to be about women and particularly women in crime because I felt that was missing. While I sit here and say that, I want us to get to a stage where it isn't about the gender, it's about the storytelling."

When asked about the parameters they look for while signing a project, Jyothika said, "I like my characters to be as close to reality as possible and resonate with the common man. I think those are the tougher performances, where you have to emote with your eyes."

Pandey revealed that she was once offered a 'very sexist' script and discussed it with Azmi who advised against it.

While talking about their initial reactions to being offered the show, Anand recalled that she 'didn't have any time to process,' "I was called four days before the shoot. I gave my audition at 1 AM and in the morning there were questions being asked. I heard Netflix, Excel Entertainment, Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, and I said yes; it was a no-brainer."

Shabana Azmi further talked about how they didn't have the comfort actors nowadays have on sets. "Rajesh Khanna and I would be shooting the first page of a scene not knowing what's next because Kader Khan is writing it in a different studio," Azmi said, adding,

"The youngsters today are doing extremely well. I'm very proud that girls are playing substantial characters, they're leading the film. They've gotten married, have had children and come back. It's the ecosystem that has changed because of the casting directors; they're picking people with character."

Shabana Azmi, Actor

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