Shabana Azmi revealed at the India Today Conclave 2025 that Shibani Akhtar “pulled her by the ear” to make her join Dabba Cartel. Shibani always envisioned her as part of the series.
In Short
Shabana Azmi and Jyotika attended India Today Conclave 2025
They discussed their Netflix series Dabba Cartel
Shabana was persuaded by Shibani Akhtar to join the series
Actors Shabana Azmi and Jyotika were joined by Shibani Akhtar, creator and executive producer of their recently released Netflix series Dabba Cartel, as they attended the India Today Conclave 2025 on March 7. They spoke at a session titled Ladies Cartel.
During the session, Shabana recalled how Shibani, her daughter-in-law, pulled her by the ear and asked her to be a part of Dabba Cartel. When asked what made her say yes to the crime-thriller series, the veteran star said she had no other option.
SHIBANI AKHTAR ON CASTING SHABANA AZMI IN DABBA CARTEL
“She pulled me by the ear and told me, ‘Chalo karo (Do it),'” said Shabana with a laugh. Shibani added that when she first thought of the idea for Dabba Cartel, she had Shabana Azmi in mind and told her husband, producer-director Farhan Akhtar, that Shabana should be a part of the show.
“I spoke to Farhan about this and said that Shabana has to do this. So, he said, ‘Call her and ask her to do it.’ I think she was the easiest cast member to get on board for obvious reasons. It was written for her. I always knew I wanted to work with her, so she was on board before the idea was even developed because that was very important for me,” said Shibani.
Dabba Cartel also stars Anjali Anand, Jyotika, Shalini Pandey, and Nimisha Sajayan in the lead roles.
Speaking of getting other cast members on board, Shibani said, “As far as the other cast members are concerned, full credit goes to the actors that we have on board because there is this excitement and understanding of being part of an ensemble cast, understanding that you are sharing space with people that are in an integral part of the story, and I think when you allow for that to happen, the story becomes more and more beautiful.”
Shibani mentioned that the entire cast didn’t think of just their characters but of the series as a whole.
SHABANA AZMI ON OTT OPENING DIFFERENT WORLD FOR ACTORS
Speaking on the role of OTT platforms in improving the quality of content, Shabana said, “Certainly! Not only for actors, actors are getting more choicey roles than they had earlier, but I think OTT has finally defined that content is king. OTT is not ruled by the economics of the first weekend, which you normally see in the mainstream cinema. OTT content has such a long shelf life that it can go on forever and ever, and that’s why I think that writers and producers have the courage to make different content.”
She continued, “When it comes to women, it was really not even thinkable 20 years ago that a woman of the age that I am would play the central figure. That is all opening up. What is happening is that it’s no longer driven by age but by characterisation. When you get involved in characterisation, then you are elongating your career, but the best fallout of this is that content is king, which is the way it should be.”
JYOTIKA ON CAMARADERIE AMONG ACTORS ON SET
Actor Jyotika also reflected upon the camaraderie among the ensemble cast of Dabba Cartel on the set. She said, “I realised women are there just to uplift each other. Dabba Cartel was a fine example of this. This could only happen, even though there are actors like Shabana Azmi and Gajraj Rao. It only happens when you have all and equal space on the set. We were all treated equally and that drove confidence in all of us. We all had well-written characters, and we were all secure actors, which brought us all together. We didn’t question each other’s roles, we didn’t have any debate.”
Shabana added to this, saying, “It also busts the myth that women are women’s worst enemy. That, to me, is the most important thing because this is a myth that has been going on for a long time, and it was important to break. I believe that is where Dabba Cartel succeeds the most.”
SHABANA AZMI ON FEMINISM AND WOMEN EMANCIPATION
Shabana Azmi agreed that the cycle of feminism and women’s emancipation have begun in cinema and popular culture. “It has also begun within the mainstream. That, to me, is the most important thing, because otherwise, you’re preaching to the already converted. Unless it comes within the mainstream, it’s not going to be as effective. This is a small step towards that, and I’m sure that there will be many such opportunities,” the veteran star said
Shabana Azmi on OTT content: It isn’t ruled by the economics of 1st week
At the India Today Conclave 2025, Shabana Azmi discussed the transformative role of OTT platforms in the film industry. They also spoke about the increased opportunities for actors and the shift from traditional box office pressures.
In Short
Shabana Azmi, Jyotika, and Shibani Akhtar were guests at India Today Concave 2025
During the session, Shabana spoke about OTT and its content
She also addressed the impact of shows like Dabba Cartel
Actor Shabana Azmi and Jyotika, along with Dabba Cartel creator and executive producer Shibani Akhtar, attended the India Today Conclave 2025 on March 7. They took part in a session titled The Ladies Cartel, where Shabana Azmi shared her insights on the impact of streaming platforms on the film industry. She emphasised the expanded opportunities for actors and the shift away from the traditional pressures of box office performance.
Shabana said, “Actors are getting a lot more choice of roles than they had earlier. But I think what has happened is that OTT has finally defined that it is not ruled by the economics of the first week, which normally the case with mainstream cinema. Dabba Cartel is currently number one on Netflix. I’m not complaining about that. The thing about OTT is that it has such a long shelf life that it can go on forever and ever, and that’s why I think that writers and producers are having the courage to make different content.”
Speaking about women in leading roles, she added, “It was really not even 20 years ago that a woman of the age that I am would play the lead, would play the central figure. That is opening up, and I think what is happening is that it’s no longer driven by age; it’s characterisation. And when you get involved in characterisation, then you are elongating your career. But the best fallout of this is that content is king, which is the way it should be.”
IMPACT OF DABBA CARTEL
On the impact of shows like Dabba Cartel, Shabana Azmi emphasised the importance of storytelling. The actor said, “It depends on whether it’s made interestingly or not. Just the lofty idea in itself never works because it’s an art form. So finally, it has to stand the test of the medium. So we must never forget that when we want to say something, it has to be truthful to the medium. It is as long as it is interestingly told, as is the feedback we are getting in the first season. I hope there will be many more.”
On the themess of women’s emancipation and feminism, she added, “Most certainly, and it has also begun within the mainstream. That, to me, is the most important thing because otherwise, you’re preaching to the already converted. Unless it comes within the mainstream, it’s not going to be as effective, and this is a small step towards that. I’m sure there will be many such opportunities.”
Dabba Cartel is a recently released Netflix show helmed by Hitesh Bhatia. The show features actors Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Jyotika, Nimisha Sajayan, and Shalini Pandey. The series was created by Shibani Akhtar, Vishnu Menon, Gaurav Kapur, and Akanksha Seda.