Veteran actor Shabana Azmi and actor-Filmekar came together for the heartiest session at the Habitat Film Festival, where they reflected on their bond, recalled the late filmmaker Shyam Benegal, and celebrated Shabana’s 50-year milestone in cinema. The chat was like a tet-a-tet between two friends, who referred to each other as Munni (Shabana) and Reena (Aparna), while the audience heard like a friendly evidence.

The conversation marked by the dialogue, heat and intellect, began with a tribute to Shyam Benegal with Aapnaan Sen, who died in December last year. “This is a disadvantage, but he has left behind such amazing films and memories. This is what we have to celebrate today. And with this, we should celebrate Shabana’s 50 -year -old acting. He is an inspiration for all actresses who came after that,” Aparna said, Aparna said, before turning to Shabana, before “,” Actually, you are, you are. “In fact, you are.”

Shabana, with her trademark intellect, took a pinch, “You never told me when I was doing four films with you.”

Aparna replied, “It was difficult at that time.” She suggests that before Shabana, Benegal contacted her to play the role of Lakshmi, who gave Shabana her first national award. “Now, let me tell you something. Shyam asked me to play the role of Lakshmi in ‘Ankur’.”

Shabana interruptedly interrupted, “Thank you for not doing so!”

Aparna continued, “My disadvantage was Shabana’s advantage. It was Shyam’s first film and when she sent me Sinopsis, I noticed that the role was that of a Hyderabadi servant girl, who speaks Telugu’s smatting. Immediately, I was nervous. I did not say that.

He said that if Benegal was further investigated, he said that: “And it would be a disaster because we did not have Shabana. I was very happy when I saw her in sprouts – and you were just amazing.”

While reflecting her debut with ‘Ankur’, Shabana said a transformative experience of working with Shyam Benegal: “It was not just working with a director, it was a practice in knowing myself. I hanged every word he said.”

He said that Benegal was hot and he believed his actors that he was confident that he took risks.

Shabana recalled Berlin’s trip with Benegal for screening of the film. “This was my first time abroad. I just wanted to run to the mall and shop,” she laughed, “,” But Shyam would sit and talk about the history of the taxi driver, garden, place. He taught me that there is a lot to experience. ,

He also praised his careful nature. “He would plan our entire festival journey program, making sure that we watched the right movies. He was so invested in learning and sharing knowledge.”

Aparna then brought Shabana’s gold medal from the film and television Institute of India (FTII), joking whether she had brought it to the set for confidence. Shabana replied, “No, not at all. It existed me.”

Shabana recalled the preparation of Lakshmi’s role. He said that he had never stepped into a village before shooting ‘Ankur’. “When I yellareddiguda, the village in which we shot, Shyam asked me to wear his dress and walk. The tailor came to take my measurement, and I was surprised – a male tailor in a village! Similarly I started,” he expanded. “

She shared that she does not know how to speak Telugu, but she will speak Dakhini. Shabana said she was familiar with the dialect, often visited Hyderabad, which helped her essay.

Shayam Benegal’s ‘Ankur’ won three National Film Awards and was nominated for Golden Beer at Berlin International Film Festival in 1974.