Indian actress Shabana Azmi says she enjoyed playing a ‘wicked scheming socialite' in the film Loins of Punjab Presents.

In a career spanning over three decades she has experimented with different genres and given several award-winning performances in Indian and foreign films. Shabana Azmi continues to experiment with diverse roles. She was at DIFF for the screening of two very different films - Aids Jaago, where she featured in a short film about the impact of Aids on an ordinary Indian family and the light hearted Loins of Punjab Presents.

Excerpts from a chat:

What made you take on the role of a wicked socialite in Loins of Punjab Presents?
The script. For far too long I have played good, noble women and I had a ball playing this wicked scheming socialite.

Did you have any reservations about working with a debutant director?
I said yes without meeting Manish because I knew that if he could write such a wacky script, he must be talented. I pride myself on having a knack for discerning talent and have worked with several first time directors. When I did Masoom, Shekhar Kapur had never ever looked through a lens, but he had the art of telling a story.
As chairperson of the Children's Film Society I gave Rituparno Ghosh and Vishal Bhardwaj their first films. What I enjoy most about first-time directors is their passion. For them every shot is a matter of life and death.

How do you keep the passion alive after all these years?
I am a professionally trained actor and a hard-working actor. Whether it is a five-minute role or bigger, the effort I put in is the same. Sometimes I start with how the character looks and walks to get inside it and sometimes I understand the character from inside and know how they will be on the outside. With Rrita, my character in Loins, the challenge was to make her real and not do an over the top caricature.

How important is the director and co-actors for your performance?
Film is a collaborative effort and there is a team of people working to enhance the actors' strengths and hide their weaknesses. The co-star is important because if he is telling the truth, then you just need to look into his eyes and react.

The director is the captain of the ship and it is not possible for me to give a good performance without a good director at the helm.

It does not seem like that with your great performance in a mediocre movie like Umrao Jaan.
That was perhaps because I was the one most familiar with the language and culture depicted. My mother worked with me and helped me understand the era.

Are you planning to direct a movie?
Direction is too much hard work. With so much happening in Indian cinema, this is a very happy time for actors. Earlier, after the age of 30 actresses were relegated to playing weeping mothers but now I am getting interesting roles and have no plans to be a director.