Shabana Azmi received the Excellence in Cinema Award at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 on Friday. She was presented with the award by veteran actor Waheeda Rehman, honouring her contributions to Indian cinema as she completed 50 years in the film industry this year.

Shabana took to Instagram on Saturday morning to share a photo with Rehman from the ceremony. In the caption, she wrote, “Thank you to MAMI Mumbai Film Festival for presenting me with the Excellence in Cinema Award made all the more special because the wonderful Waheeda Rehman handed it to me. Thank you also to Zoya Akhtar and Tiger Baby Team and Namrata Goyal for all the hard work they put in. Missed you, Shyam Benegal.”

While accepting the award, Shabana thanked all the directors she has worked with and said “Filmmaking is a collaborative medium. Actors get most of the prominence because they are in front of the camera, but they know there’s a whole team behind the scenes working to enhance strengths and cover weaknesses. Film is a director’s medium. I have never been able to rise above the director or the role. So, I want to thank all the directors I have worked with, from Shyam Benegal to Steven Spielberg."

Shabana started her career with Shyam Benegal's 1974 film Ankur, followed by critically-acclaimed movies such as Arth (1982), Swami (1977), Sparsh (1980), Mandi (1983), Masoom (1983), Ek Din Achanak (1989), Godmother (1999), Earth (1998) and Fire (1996). She was last seen in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023).