Shabana Azmi: 'How many followers you have on social media is now a reason for casting an upcoming actor'

Shabana Azmi has given two films this year one after another- Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and R. Balki's Ghoomer. While speaking to Bombay Times, she spoke about how she doesn't indulge herself in nostalgia, and how today's generation of people get work.She said, "I am not the kind of person who likes indulging in nostalgia and say, “Humare zamane mein yeh tha, woh tha.” How many followers you have on social media is now a reason for casting an upcoming actor. Earlier, you had to carry a portfolio, then reels of your work and now it’s about isko cast karte hai, iskay itnay followers hai. You get endorsements based on it."Talking about Saiyami Kher, with whom she recently did Ghoomer, Azmi revealed, "She is a very passionate and committed person. There was a time when she went through a dark phase, and yet, kept going. She didn’t give up because she had faith in her abilities. She never let down the parts she played, but she needed something where her work would be recognised. I feel Ghoomer (the film directed by R Balki in which Shabana and Saiyami shared screen space) has done that for her."Shabana Azmi on her kissing scene with Dharmendra‘Why is this so surprising?’ asks Shabana Azmi on her kissing scene with Dharmendra in ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani‘. While speaking to PTI, she said, “I think the maximum comments that I’m getting are like, ‘Oh wow, we would have never imagined you in this kind of role. You’re not prepared for it in any way at all… But I am like ‘why is this so surprising’… An actor who has a strong woman image, why is it not possible that she can also be a romantic person? It’s not like strong women don’t have any romantic bones in their body.”