Shabana Azmi recently had a candid interaction about her views on, and experiences with, religion during her growing-up years. She spoke about how her father, Urdu poet and lyricist Kaifi Azmi, was an atheist, while her mother, Shaukat Kaifi, a theatre and film actress, used to practise it, but not 'seriously'.
In a chat shared on IIMUN's YouTube channel, Shabana Azmi said, "Like sometimes, I say 'mashallah' and 'inshallah', but Javed says, 'Why do you keep saying this? What if someone says 'prabhu ji ki marzi' all the time, how will you feel?' But I feel it's just something that's a part of my language."
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Shabana Azmi further explained that she has never been curious about religion and that her husband, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar, is a 'staunch atheist'.
She added, "He is a very staunch atheist. I am saying, 'Why do you have to wear this on your sleeve? If there is somebody who is getting some solace out of practising religion, let it be. Why offend them?' He says, 'Because they offend me. Don't I have a right as an atheist to be offended by that?'"
"Yes, I am a Muslim, and I like Eid, Urdu, the food, I like all of that. But we don't read namaz, and we have no association with religion as such. The concept of God... It isn't anything that I have had to deal with, except that I feel that it's really a private matter. The state shouldn't get involved. It's a private matter and if you feel good after praying, then I don't have any problem with it at all," added Shabana Azmi.
About Shabana Azmi And Javed Akhtar
Before his marriage to Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar was married to screenwriter Honey Irani. The couple married in 1972 and went on to welcome two children, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar and actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar.
Javed and Honey parted ways in 1978, but their divorce was officially finalised in 1985. He married Shabana Azmi in 1984.
