Veteran actor Shabana Azmi is all set to star in the upcoming web series Dabba Cartel, alongside an ensemble cast featuring Shalini Pandey, Saiee Tamhamkar, Jyotika, Gajraj Rao, Jisshu Sengupta, and Anjali Anand. At the show’s trailer launch, Shabana shared candid revelations about her association with the series, including how she couldn’t refuse the project and her initial reservations about the casting.
For Shabana, working on Dabba Cartel was a deeply personal affair as it is produced by her stepson, Farhan Akhtar, and created by her stepdaughter-in-law, Shibani Akhtar. She humorously remarked, “For me it was ghar ka maamla, bahu ne hukm diya, beta produce kar raha hai, meri aukaat ki main naa bolu? It was a fascinating character which came my way at this point and I got excited.”
In a surprising confession, Shabana admitted she initially wanted changes in the cast, particularly the replacement of Jyotika. “I have to make a confession. I tried to remove two girls from this (show). One is Jyotika. She doesn’t know this, but I said this. It’s really creditable to these guys who said, ‘You can do what you want. We are not going to replace her.’ And, I am grateful that you (pointing to Jyotika) played it. It was my mistake. It would have robbed me of the pleasure of working with you.”
Shabana found working with younger actors enriching, appreciating their fresh sensibilities. Initially apprehensive, they soon grew comfortable, prompting her to jokingly remind them of her seniority. She also praised casting directors for revolutionizing Hindi cinema by moving away from stock characters and introducing authentic faces, which in turn pushes mainstream actors to up their game.
She also pointed out the increased emphasis on authenticity in acting today, recalling an example from the past. “One of my favourite examples is Rishi Kapoor in Karz. It was such a huge hit. But you can see that he’s not playing the guitar, he’s just drumming it. He’s not doing anything with the chords. Today, it is impossible. I don’t think any actor could get away and I don’t think that any actor would think it is okay. The actor would take on the challenge and learn. This, in itself, is growth of actors all around and the fact that we are now taking many more interesting faces and that the stories don’t have to be only about a pretty boy and a pretty girl. That’s brought a huge change both for men and for women.”
Dabba Cartel is set to stream from February 28.
