Each time Bollywood celebrities are mentioned, we imagine them with glamorous lives, travelling in luxury cars, and enjoying the stardom that comes with being a superstar. However, let’s understand that for many of these actors, the road to stardom wasn’t easy. In fact, before they entered showbiz industry, they had taken up different jobs. These stars witnessed multiple twists and turns and chose careers that were totally unrelated to acting.

One such star was a popular Bollywood actress who had also sold coffee at a petrol station. Interestingly, her hard work paid off, and not only did she manage to make her acting debut, but also won a National Award for her flawless performance.

The actress is one of the iconic and respected names of Indian cinema, and is still lauded for both parallel and mainstream cinema, and is none other than Shabana Azmi. Born in Hyderabad, Azmi is the daughter of popular poet Kaifi Azmi and actress Shaukat Azmi. After finishing her schooling at Mumbai’s Queen Mary School, she graduated in Psychology from St. Xavier’s College. She pursued acting and enrolled in a course at the popular Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. In her autobiography Kaif and I: A Memoir, Azmi’s mother Shaukat Azmi brought to the fans a surprising chapter from her daughter’s life. Even though she belonged to a well-off family, Shabana worked at petrol stations, sold coffee to earn just Rs 30 per day. She had taken up this odd job during her college years.

Shabana’s career is about incredible and flawless performances, each playing a key role in putting forth her versatility. In her debut film Ankur, which had released in 1974, she had essayed the role of a woman caught in harsh environment. Her performance in Shyam Benegal’s Ankur helped her bag her first National Award for Best Actress. Her four additional National Film Awards came from incredible acts in Arth (1982), Khandhar (1984), Paar (1984), and Godmother (1999). These movies helped her cement her position as one of the popular actors in Indian cinema history. Each film that Shabana has done, has had her invest efforts in breaking barriers and portraying complex characters that have emerged iconic in Indian cinema.

Shabana’s exceptional efforts and work also helped her earn recognition and awards from the Government of India. She won Padma Shri in 1998 and the Padma Bhushan in 2012 for her roles. Throughout her career, Shabana had worked with popular names in the industry, including the legendary Rajesh Khanna. Both Shabana and Rajesh had featured in seven films together, and shared a strong friendship.

During her childhood, Shabana had attempted to commit suicide twice. In her autobiography, Shabana’s mother Shaukat had talked about an incident wherein she had consumed copper sulphate at a laboratory in school and was saved by her friend.

Shabana always felt that her mother loved her younger brother more. Hence, in angst she tried to take her own life. Shabana had also attempted to kill herself by coming in front of the train. She was saved by the school’s watchman.

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