As Shabana Azmi celebrates her 75th birthday today, it is the perfect moment to look back at a career that has shaped the very fabric of Indian cinema. Known as the face of parallel cinema, she balanced meaningful art-house roles with memorable mainstream performances, carving a niche that very few actors could achieve. With five National Awards and countless accolades to her name, Shabana Azmi has always been more than just an actor. She is a storyteller, a trailblazer and a voice of social change.