Shabana Azmi & Shatrughan Sinha Movies Together List — 4 Films

The shape of the work

The 1980s account for 75% of everything they made together. The 1980s belonged to Log Kya Kahenge; the 1990s to Adharm. Shabana Azmi acted in every film; Shatrughan Sinha acted in all of them. Strictly Hindi cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Shabana Azmi was the one who pushed for Shatrughan Sinha to be cast in Jwalamukhi (1980). The director wanted a different actor, but Shabana insisted Shatrughan's intensity would make the revenge drama work. He got the role on her word.
• In Samay Ki Dhaara (1986), Shabana and Shatrughan shot a courtroom scene in one continuous take. Shatrughan, known for his booming dialogue delivery, deliberately lowered his volume so Shabana could underplay her lines. She later said he 'gave her the space to breathe' in that scene.
• During the shoot of Log Kya Kahenge (1982), Shatrughan would drive Shabana home every night because her car had broken down. They'd stop at a roadside stall for chai and argue about politics for hours. She called him 'the only co-star who made me forget I was working.'
• Adharm (1992) was the last film they made together, but it directly led to Shatrughan casting Shabana's then-boyfriend (later husband) Javed Akhtar as the dialogue writer for his next project. That was the first time Javed worked outside the Salim-Javed duo.
• Shabana Azmi once said about Shatrughan: 'He is the only actor who could make a line like "Main tumhe khatam kar dunga" sound like a love letter. And I had to act opposite that without laughing.' She said this in a 1993 Filmfare interview.