Shabana pleased with response to role in 'Matru'

She's done some meaty and critically acclaimed roles in her long and eventful film career, but Shabana Azmi is still happy with the response her latest effort in "Matru ki Bijlee Ka Mandola" is receiving.

She plays a tough and crooked politician in Vishal Bharadwaj's just-released film - a role that has critics raving.

"I have got a lot of compliments (for my portrayal) and I am thankful to Vishal Bhardwaj for giving me such a wonderful role," the actress said here on the sidelines of a 19th Annual Colors Screen Awards ceremony.

Shabana, known today more as an activist with a conscience, has essayed roles in such immortals of parallel cinema as Shyam Benegal's directorial debut "Ankur", followed by "Arth", "Khandar", "Godmother", Satyajit Ray's "Shatranj Ke Khiladi" and the evergreen "Mandi".

She has to her name a record five National Awards for Best Actress and four Filmfare awards, showing her comfort with mainline cinema as well.

Shabana's husband and noted writer Javed Akhtar is also impressed with his wife's latest role, saying: "Shabana and Pankaj Kapur, both have done a great job."

"Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola" hit theatres last Friday and collected Rs.7.02 crore on its opening day, making it the highest-ever opening for composer-turned-director Bhardwaj. The film deals with the issue of land scams and stars Anushka Sharma and Imran Khan in the lead roles.

It marks Bhardwaj's first foray into political satire, after making such "Shakespearean" films as "Maqbool" and "Omkara", and children's films like "Makdee" - which also starred Shabana - and "The Blue Umbrella" based on an eponymous Ruskin Bond story.