Shabana Azmi: I don’t diet, I’m a big foodie

The actress, who graced the opening of Antara AGEasy, a holistic platform for seniors, also spoke about the biggest challenges the elderly face in accessing quality healthcare in India.

New Delhi: One of India’s most celebrated actresses, Shabana Azmi, has opened up about the habits that keep her active and creative after all these years. Surprisingly, strict diets aren’t one of them as she revealed she is a big foodie.

Revealing the habits, Shabana told IANS: “Well, being conscious of my health, walking regularly, I don’t diet, I’m a big foodie. When I have to do it for a role, then I do it. So everything is for the role that is needed, I do that according to that.”

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“But because we are both creative people, we are very fortunate that we are still getting those opportunities,” she added.

The actress, who graced the opening of Antara AGEasy, a holistic platform for seniors, also spoke about the biggest challenges the elderly face in accessing quality healthcare in India.

For Shabana, it is the lack of sensitivity.

“The lack of sensitivity all around and the kind of invisibility that is accorded to seniors. What we have to do is to change their perspective of them and ensure that they lead a dignified life and they have all the comforts that they will need available to them.”

The 74-year-old actress has a career spanning over 160 films, mostly within independent and neorealist parallel cinema. She has also extended to mainstream films as well as a motley of international projects.

She is known for her portrayals of distinctive, often unconventional female characters across several genres. Shabana has won a record of five National Film Awards for Best Actress.

She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1998 and the Padma Bhushan in 2012.

The actress was last seen on screen in the movie Ghoomer, a sports drama by R. Balki. It also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Saiyami Kher, and Angad Bedi.