Shabana Azmi on playing a crime boss again: 'Dabba Cartel is a different beast from Godmother'

Anyone who has watched the trailer for Dabba Cartel will attest that it is the ideal complement to Shabana Azmi's body of work, which is anchored by strong performances. Nevertheless, the actor playfully remarks that she was compelled to accept the impending crime drama. Her daughter-in-law, Shibani Akhtar, wrote it, and her son, Farhan Akhtar, produced it, so how could she possibly decline?

Storyline of Dabba Cartel

The five housewives who manage a narcotics network are the centre of attention in this Netflix series set in Mumbai. They have Azmi's Sheelaben as a de facto leader. During an interview with Mid Day, she said that jokes aside, she could see that Sheelaben had layers, adding that actors find roles with complex characters appealing. She is just a regular person living her life, but she is forced to return to a past she abandoned 30 years ago due to unforeseen events. Now that she's had blood, she begins to relish the peril.

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Comparing Dabba Cartel to Godmother

The seasoned actor's riveting performance as a gang boss in Godmother (1999) earned her a sixth National Award, and that was more than 25 years ago. Azmi was asked what were the key differences between her portrayal of Rambhi in Godmother and her cruel Sheelaben. She responded by stating that the challenge in Dabba Cartel was to portray her in a novel manner. Sheelaben is very different, so she had to fight the urge to follow the crowd. Everything about her—her speech patterns, body language, and the environment she lives in—is different from Rambhi's.

Diverse ensemble cast

It was an even more enriching experience because she was joined by an eclectic cast, which included Jyotika, Sai Tamhankar, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, and Anjali Anand. Dabba Cartel challenges traditional gender norms by depicting female drug ring leaders. On the other hand, Azmi thinks otherwise: Dabba Cartel is a fascinating look into people in general, regardless of their gender. It just so happens that they play a pivotal role, making judgements within a system where they are rarely acknowledged. They are not objects of desire for criminals or molls. In a way that is all their own, these women navigate a perilous world.

As the senior actor's first project with Shibani, the crime drama will always have a unique meaning for her. Their friendship is strong, and they have a wonderful relationship. The production team took advantage of her inability to say no when Shibani asked her to do something.

Dabba Cartel will begin streaming on Netflix from February 28, 2025.

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