Daily Times

Veteran Indian cinema star, Shabana Azmi, took a stroll down memory lane, evoking nostalgia.

The actor and activist took to her social media to share a throwback image, the constituent of which is the stuff of legends.

The black-and-white image shared on Twitter by Azmi, accompanied by a caption, featured her, alongside the great Dilip Kumar and the inimitable nightingale, Noor Jehan. “With the two greats,” wrote Azmi.

Fans were overjoyed by the image and could not contain their appreciation for this page out of cinematic history. “Legends of Asia,” wrote one tweep. Another user of the microblogging site wrote, “For me, there are three legends in this picture.”

In 2021, Azmi penned a farewell note for Kumar upon his passing. He died following a prolonged illness. “Adieu Dilip Sahab. Unknown to you I have been your Eklavya. Thank you for the movies. Thank you for the language. Thank you for the dignity. Thank you for being socially responsible. Thank you,” wrote Azmi.

The actor cited the illustration of Eklavya, a prince belonging to the Nishada tribe in the epic Mahabharata. Eklavya held Dronacharya in high regard as his guru and honed his archery skills by practising in front of a statue of his late mentor. This anecdote was used by Azmi to demonstrate her admiration for the revered icon.

For the uninitiated, Azmi is known for her remarkable performances in critically acclaimed movies and her association with various humanitarian causes. She is the recipient of several accolades, including the National Film Award for Best Actress five times, and the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards.

Noor Jehan was a legendary Pakistani singer and actor who was considered one of the greatest voices of South Asia and was referred to as the “Queen of Melody.” Noor Jehan was known for her contributions to the Pakistani film industry and her renditions of ghazals, geets and film songs in Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi. She received numerous honours and awards for her work and was also recognised by the government of Pakistan with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, one of the country’s highest civilian awards.