Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar Celebrate 41st Wedding Anniversary

“It’s tough coming to terms with the fact that you can’t bear children. Society makes you feel incomplete. You have to work hard to pull yourself out of that. But your ultimate sense of self must come from your work. Women often measure self-worth from their relationships – how they hold up as a wife, mother, daughter… For a man, that’s not the criterion of success – rather it’s his career, his work that gives him the greatest satisfaction. I believe that should apply to all genders.”

“I never wanted to adopt a child. No. Well, because I am very friendly with Javed’s kids so that need was fulfilled. They have grown up and they are at a time when I don’t have to change their nappies or worry about their malaria. They are bright children with whom I exchange ideas and it’s wonderful to have them at this age, where they fight back with you, and you can see new ideas germinating in them as they are having a conversation with you. That’s an age group I like very much.”