A great interview with Shabana Azmi

Ever heard of the Indian New Wave?

The Indian New Wave or "Parallel Cinema" was largely a movement to produce high-quality Indian films, rich in plot and texture, to counter the incessant saccharine feel-good and formulaic Bollywood productions.

A sitar of this movement was the distinguished Shabana Azmi. I remember Ms. Azmi from Masoom, a movie that left quite an impression on me as a child. The songs were great, as were the child characters. And D.K. Malhotra played by Nasiruddun Shah was memorable.

Recently interviewed by BBC's Mike Willaims, Azmi shoots from the hip. Very conscious of her femininity, she speaks of growing up in a famous family, marrying a famous Urdu poet, her multiple identities - resisting any neat categorization. Always displaying a characterstic confidence, she breaks down tough questions re: women's rights, marginal voices, her involvement with politics, and Islam.

Click here for the interview.