Shabana Azmi is an Indian actress, who achieved mega success with her debut film ‘Ankur’ (1974), which earned her the ‘National Film Award for Best Actress.’ She also earned the same award for her films ‘Arth’ (1982), ‘Khandhar’ (1984), ‘Paar’ (1984), and ‘Godmother’ (1999). Some of her notable films include ‘Junoon’ (1978), ‘Main Azaad Hoon’ (1989), ‘Fire’ (1996), ‘Earth’ (1998), ‘Makdee’ (2002), ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ (2013), ‘Neerja’ (2016), and ‘The Black Prince’ (2017). Her TV performances came in shows such as ‘24’ (2013-2014), ‘Amma’ (2016), ‘The Good Karma Hospital’ (2018), and ‘Rangoli’ (2019). Her list of awards and accolades is endless. Some of them include ‘Filmfare Awards,’ ‘Padma Sri’ (1988), ‘Silver Hugo Award’ (1996) at the ‘Chicago International Film Festival,’ ‘Gandhi International Peace Award’ (2006), and ‘Padma Bhushan’ (2012). Additionally, she is also a social and women’s right activist. Shabana is one of the finest actresses of parallel and mainstream Indian cinema.Â
This is a Hindi language film focusing on the lives and feelings of the blind people. Anirudh, the blind principal of a blind school, leads a dark existence until he meets Kavita, who has been recently widowed. At his request, Kavita starts volunteering in his school and slowly a bond begins to develop between them. But there are hindrances on the way.
This award-winning drama film tells the story of Vishwam, son of a rich and influential landlord. Unlike his brothers, Vishwam has no vices, and doesn’t indulge in drinking or women. However, he gets obsessed with Sushila, the new schoolmaster’s wife, even though he is married. Eventually, he gets her kidnapped.
When village benefactor schoolmaster is killed by the cruel landlord, poor labourer Naurangia hits back by killing landlord’s brother. He and his pregnant wife, Rama, flee from law, but find it difficult to subsist. They accept the job of driving a pigs’ herd to earn their fare back home. As they swim with pigs across a wide raging river, Rama fears for her unborn baby.
Neerja is a biographical drama thriller film which takes us to 1986 and revolves around a young flight attendant named Neerja. When the plane she is in, gets hijacked by terrorists, she does her best and even risks her life, to save the life of the passengers.
This is an award winning Hindi language film, depicting the story of Rukmini Bai, an aging brothel madam in Hyderabad. Very proud of her girls, she is especially protective about Zeenat and does not allow her to engage in prostitution. Then one day, Zeenat meets Sushil and the two fall in love, unaware that she has been sired by Sushil’s father.
This period film takes us back to the time of India’s 1857 War of Independence. The film tells the story of an obsessed Indian Nawab who desires to wed a young Anglo-Indian woman. However, the girl’s mother stands between them, and refuses to allow them to marry.
Three brothers are separated at a very young age. While one is adopted by a Hindu policeman, the other two are adopted by a Muslim tailor and a Catholic priest. Years later, they reunite and decide to take revenge on the mob boss who is responsible for separating them.
This is a family drama film centering on Avtaar Kishen and his wife Radha. The plot thickens when after decades of struggle he settles down to a moderately successful life and learns that the house he has built has been registered in the name of his daughter-in-law. He immediately leaves home, accompanied by Radha and a loyal servant called Sewak.
Khandhar is a drama film which tells the story of a photographer named Subhash, who has come to take pictures of a few old temples as well as the ruins in a village. He soon meets a young woman named Jamini, and finds himself attracted to her.
Prof Saxsena and Dr Gupta are two friends from India living in Los Angeles. Since Gupta is unmarried, he decides to go to India to find a girl for marriage. He chooses a woman named Sunita and gets married to her. However, due to VISA issues, he is forced to leave earlier to the US. Later, after her VISA is cleared, Sunita is ready to fly to Los Angeles, but on the flight, another woman plants drugs among her luggage.
Albert Pinto is a young car mechanic who idolizes the rich and despises workers who go on strike. He has a change of heart when his father, a mill worker, is abused at work. Albert realizes the rich are to blame for the workers' pitiful conditions.
At an early age, Raja was adopted by a crime lord who also raised him. After the crime lord passes away, Raja inherits his property but tries to stay away from the world of crime. He begins to fall for Radha, the daughter of his servant Ramu. However, he is enraged when he learns that Radha loves another man named Kishan. Despite this, he arranges for them to get married. Kishan feels indebted to Raja, without knowing the real reason behind his kindness.
DSP Shamsher Singh adopts Amit, the new-born son of bandit Mangal Singh and brings him up alongside his own son, Kishan. As they grow up, Kishan believes that he is bandit’s son, and surreptitiously joins Mangal’s nefarious activities. When Amit becomes an honest police officer, he learns about Kishan’s criminal actions. Finally, how do they find out the truth about their biological-family?
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a suspense drama film which tells the story of a Pakistani man who wants to achieve corporate success on Wall Street. However, he soon finds himself in conflict between his American dream and his beliefs.
Asha and Arvind fall in love, but things get complicated when Asha’s astrologer father, whose predictions never go wrong, forbid them from marrying, as he sees a dark future for them. Regardless, they decide to live together without getting married, believing that nothing will go wrong. However, this gets them blacklisted from their conservative community. Soon Asha gets pregnant, but she is unaware of the fact that there is another woman named Neelam, who is attracted to Arvind, and wants to get married to him.
Swami is a romantic drama film which tells the story of a young girl living in a village, who has interest in literature and philosophy, and wants to pursue a career in academics. She soon falls in love with a young man named Narendra, who studies in Calcutta, but her family gets her married off to another man named Ghanshyam.
Vijay is a criminal who robs the rich and helps the poor and the needy. Eventually, to bring him to justice, a man named Ajay is hired for the job. However, neither of them are aware that they are actually brothers who were separated at quite a young age.
Hum Paanch is an action drama film which tells the story of five men who join hands to destroy Thakur Vir Pratap Singh, a cruel landlord who rules over a town, and kills anyone who dares to oppose him.
Hasari Pal is an Indian farmer who moves with his family to Calcutta, hoping to start a new life, after losing his farm to a moneylender. He soon meets a doctor named Max, who was assaulted and left lying in the street. Hasan takes him to his district, and they soon become friends.
After the death of his father, it is up to Arun to take care of his step mother and his step sisters. Due to loss in businesses, they go through several struggles, and this eventually leads to a divorce between Arun and his wife Neema. After the divorce court judgment, Arun is unable to meet his son for many years.
Harry is an industrialist who lives with his daughter Bijlee in a remote village. He wants to turn his village into a shining example of success, but in order to do this, the villagers will need to sell their land to the government at low rates. However, a revolutionary man named Matru is fighting for the rights of the villagers, as he does not want their land to be taken away.
Ashanti is a crime adventure action film which tells the story of Inspector Kumar Chandra Singh, who is wrongly accused of a crime, and sent to prison. After hearing this, his mother dies of shock. Eventually, he is released from jail, but his only mission now is to find the culprits who framed him and ruined his life.
This romantic drama film takes us to the year 1947, where the partition of India takes place. A beautiful woman’s life gets complicated as she finds herself caught between the affections of two men, while also dealing with the political and religious violence that had erupted all over the country.
Ram and Sadhana are a wealthy married couple. However, Ram cheats on Sadhana with her best friend Urvashi. Although Ram confesses the truth and tries to convince her to forgive him, Sadhana refuses and files for divorce. Ten years later, she meets Ram and learns that he is the manager of the office where she works. Realizing that they are also neighbors, Ram tries to rekindle their relationship.
