I did '24' for Anil Kapoor: Shabana Azmi

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi features in a cameo in Anil Kapoor's upcoming TV production "24", and she admits she agreed to the role only because of Anil.

Published: Friday,Sep 20, 2013 14:28 PM GMT-06:00

ANI

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi features in a cameo in Anil Kapoor's upcoming TV production "24", and she admits she agreed to the role only because of Anil.

When asked how Anil managed to convince her for the role in the forthcoming TV show, Shabana said: "I was happy to do '24' because of Anil Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Anil Kapoor. I have always associated Anil with excellence, quality."

Shabana was fascinated to see the same passion and dedication in Anil that she first saw in him 30 years back.

"He has been a very dear friend for years now and I was fascinated to see the same dedication, sincerity and passion in him that I saw when I first worked with him in the movie 'Ek Baar Kaho' 30 years back. You are an inspiration Anil, it was an absolute pleasure," Shabana said at an event here.

In "24", Anil plays the lead role of Jai Singh Rathod, chief of anti-terrorist Unit of India.

Meanwhile, Shabana also said that director Abhinay Deo made her slog for two days for the show.

"The way Abhinay made me work in two days, I felt like, 'Where have I got myself stuck?' He was always smiling and said, 'Ma'am, it's okay'," she said.

Shabana says the show also offered her a role she had neither played in a movie nor in a play.

"But the fact is I enjoyed it a lot. The kind of character Abhilasha Grewal is, I have never done such a character either in theater or films. It is a cameo and she is a no-nonsense woman and will stop at nothing to get what she wants," said Shabana, who has been in the industry for almost four decades.

"24" will air on Colors TV starting from October 4.

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Comments (1)

Prem(ms) @radev24

+ 2 ⋮

I watched every single season of "24" since Nov of 2001 on Fox in the US and knowing my age and tv-movie critiquing being one of my side hobbies, you won't believe when I say that I had predicted when Anil Kapoor was the male lead in the final and last season of "24" in 2010, that he will one day soon launch "24" on Indian telly. And yes I am going to brag and say that "I told you so". In other words, for a popular producer director like Anil Kapoor, it didn't even take me a second that while being in front of the camera, he was already contemplating being behind the camera in Bombay, once the final season completed its shoots and the season 8 sadly ended with Anil Kapoor's season as President Omar Hassan of the fictional Islamic Republic of Kamistan (IRK) and the President of the United States Madame Allison Taylor.

I am in total shock to know that Anil Kapoor has not only started the production process by selecting Ved Thapar and Mandira Bedi already, but it seems by reading various articles that the tele-series may begin soon on Colors. And Patna is going to be location for the shoots. OMG OMG !! Hats off to you, Mr. Kapoor, given that you have the required wherewithal but guztpa and guts, stamina and

I pray that millions of your fans globally, and a diehard ardent fan of American "24", join me in praying for your grand success in this first ever tele-series venture of its kind on our Mahaan Indian Soil !!!!!!!!!!!

I am most pleasantly shocked to know the series will already air on Colors starting Oct 4th OMG !! That's too fast even for my janmabhoomi Bharat India !!! WOW WOW WOW !!

All the best to Shabanaji as Abhilasha Grewal!!

10 years ago