Shabana Azmi on ‘ADHM’: It’s refreshing to see Muslim characters not defined by religious beliefs

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi saw the movie ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ and loved it. But, one thing that really impressed her in the movie was the portrayal of Muslims.

Speaking to a popular daily, Azmi said, “It is refreshing and a welcome change to see three Muslim protagonists whose clothes, appearance and demeanour are not defined by their religious belief. That Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are Muslims in ‘Ae Dil Hai Muskhil’ doesn’t even strike us. It probably didn’t strike Karan either while making the film. ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ shows us Muslim characters who are not constantly reminded of or defined by their religious identity. It is an important film in that respect.”

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She also narrated an important incident that happened after the premiere of ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’. Said Azmi, “I congratulated Karan for portraying a Muslim hero as a normal working-class human being. Karan scratched his head wondering what I was talking about. He had forgotten that his hero was a Muslim. That is the way it should be in our films. For too long, Muslim characters have been symbolised by the ‘Rahim Chacha’ stereotype, the affable father figure who sports a beard and does his prayers five times a day.”

‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ is directed and written by Karan Johar and released on October 28, 2016. The movie featured Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma in main roles.

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Prajakta Ajgaonkar

Passionate about writing, and a Bollywood lover, she is all that is sweet and endearing! She desires to put her best foot forward in everything that she does and loves to help anyone who’s in need.