Liv To Tell: Shabana Azmi talks of her dream-come-true encounter with her idol

While many generations of Indian actors hero-worship Shabana Azmi, she hero-worships Norwegian actress Liv Ullman. In fact, Shabana owes a lot of her acting skills to Ullman, and has no qualms in admitting it. And it was a dream-come-true when this month Shabana got a chance to present a lifetime-achievement award to Liv Ullman at IIFA. Says Shabana, “I’ve been her Eklavya. Unknown to her I’ve watched and read her, listened to her and learned. For me she’s touchstone of that truth and purity that can be achieved in a performance.” In her speech before handing over the award to her idol Shabana said, “Cinema without her is like a poem without words, like a violin without strings, like a heart without heartbeats. As a student of Film and Television Institute of India, I was introduced to her luminosity and her brilliance as an actor and I was spellbound. She became for me the touchstone of the purity and truth that can be achieved in a performance. In 37 years of my film career, I say without exaggeration this is the highest point that I have been called upon to present the IIFA award for outstanding contribution to world cinema to a Norwegian by birth but universal in spirit, the First Lady of World Cinema, the legendary Liv Ullmann. In honouring you, we honour ourselves. Liv, please allow me to show my respect to you in the traditional Indian way reserved for Gurus. I'd like to touch your feet in respect and gratitude.” Recalls Shabana emotionally, “Liv Ullman started crying when I introduced her and asked me to send her the words I had used. For a person as celebrated and feted it is extraordinary that she was so moved. Her luminosity and brilliance radiates from every pore. In addition she declared that she has fallen in love with my husband Javed after watching him create a song in front of a live audience. Liv said it was worth it being alive to have been witness to such an experience.” Shabana feels equally fulfilled after coming face-to-face with her idol.