Legendary theatre activist, Safdar Hashmi was brutally killed while performing the play
Halla Bol. His 21-year-old niece, Saba Azad recently debuted in Bollywood with the movie
Dil Kabbadi, after spending much of her life pursuing theatre.
She says, “People do expect me to be very good as I am Safdar’s niece. And that is not completely bad because it drives me to work harder. Everyday is a challenge for me.”
She recalls her childhood days when much time was spent with her uncle. She remembers him as a man immensely fond of children and who stood by her, constantly supporting her with his constructive criticism. She says, “He was a simple man and would mostly travel by bus. I vividly remember that he would carry me on his shoulders and get me onto the bus with him very comfortably.”
Saba is sure that she would have loved to receive some comforting advice from her uncle after her movie failed to woo the audiences. But she says, “I couldn’t ask for more. I had a set of brilliant co-actors (Irrfan Khan, Rahul Bose, Konkana Sen Sharma, among the others) and my director Anil Sharma (Senior) was also a cool guy to work with.”
The daughter of Shehla Hashmi Saba has also worked with the likes of Habib Tanvir and MK Raina and has done small roles as a child artiste. “Then I concentrated on dance and have learnt Odissi, jazz and a little bit of the contemporary style of dancing. I travelled extensively with my guru and performed all around the world.”
Recently Saba has shifted base to Mumbai and is now waiting for the right kind of roles. “I am not here to make money. I want to act. I am reading scripts and will take up only those that really appeal to me,” she signs off.
