NDTV Exclusive: Why Shabana Azmi Calls Her Rocky Aur Rani Co-Star Jaya Bachchan "Very Funny"
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, directed by Karan Johar, completed 2 years on July 28, 2025. The film boasted of an ensemble cast, led by Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh in titular roles.
In conversation with NDTV on the film's anniversary, Shabana Azmi spoke about her bonding with another veteran actress in the team - Jaya Bachchan. She played the role of the antagonist in the film, Dhanlakshmi Randhawa.
What's Happening
Thanks to social media and a deluge of pap videos, Jaya Bachchan is infamous for her interactions with photographers and, mostly, her disapproval of them popping up everywhere.
Speaking of the reputation that the younger generation has of the veteran, Shabana Azmi refutes it as she calls her Rocky Aur Rani co-star "very, very funny".
"Jaya is very warm, and a completely different person from the image that the media has created about her. She was the reason why I had joined the Film and Television Institute of India after watching the short film Suman. I've never seen acting of that kind. And I said, wow, there's some place where we can learn acting of that kind. And that's where I want to go."
Shabana Azmi highlights the iconic moments when Kanwal (Dharmendra) and her onscreen character Jamini share the most-talked-about kiss, and Jaya Bachchan faints in the most dramatic manner.
She says, "We were laughing even on the set. She is extremely funny."
About Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani
A cute-meet love story between a flamboyant Punjabi boy, Rocky and an opinionated Bengali journalist Rani. They fall in love despite their clashing personalities and diverse cultural backgrounds.
As their families oppose, the lovebirds decide to swap their homes for three months to win them over before getting married.
In A Nutshell
Shabana Azmi spoke of her lovely bond with Jaya Bachchan on the sets of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The actress also spoke about how Jaya Bachchan is vastly opposite to the image she has in the media.
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