Shabana Azmi’s wondrous experience entering the world of ‘Halo’

The veteran screen legend talks about acting in the web-series adaptation of the iconic video game, pushing herself with every role, interacting with Steven Spielberg, and more

Shabana Azmi is just about to make a presentation at the University of Southampton, and it’s a windy day as she gets out of her car and makes her way into the auditorium, where in a few minutes, hundreds of students will assemble to listen to her.

“Sorry, it’s been a bit of a hectic day,” she apologises, for the disturbance on our Zoom call from her iPhone, as she recalls how she was cast in possibly one of the most challenging — and unlikely — roles in her decorated career thus far.

Even fans who have followed her body of work for decades were surprised when the news broke. The 71-year-old plays the role of Admiral Margaret Parangosky in the sci-fi series Halo — adapted from the iconic video game franchise of the same name — in what is a breakthrough moment for modern-day casting.

“The most interesting thing is that the series is completely full of colour-blind casting. Although there are actors from all over the world, they have not been cast due to their ethnicity or their nationality. I have not been asked to put on any kind of accent, or wear a blonde wig... I look and talk the way I do. All the performers, whether they’re Korean, Canadian or African-American, speak the way they do in real life, which for me, is very heartening. Particularly because I’ve been working in the West for the last 30 years, and it’s been a struggle with Asian actors asking for colour-blind casting and wondering why is it that all the best roles go to Caucasians? Finally, I’m seeing some progress in that direction,” she smiles.

And indeed, even after nearly five decades in the profession, her choices continue to intrigue us. Apart from Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, she is also busy working on British rom-com What’s Love Got to Do With It?, directed by Shekhar Kapur, in which Shabana shares screen space with Lily James and Emma Thompson.

Shabana muses, “People really want to see different kinds of stories and different kinds of faces. A few years back, it was unthinkable that after 35, a woman would still continue to get any decent parts… aside from the obligatory bhabhi role. But that space is opening up a lot, and I’m finding it really interesting.”

She adds, “I remember when I went to London to start shooting What’s Love Got to Do With It?, and my family was convinced that I wouldn’t be back because it was the height of the pandemic! And yet, we managed to shoot the film in about 48 days, which was even a record of sorts for Shekhar. In the process, I made really good friends with Emma Thompson, whom I’ve been such an admirer of. It was absolutely delightful in the added pressure of working through the pandemic, and made it less stressful for me than if I had been just staying at home waiting for things to clear up.”