She is a five-time National Award winner. She has received accolades for her performances both nationally and internationally. She is considered one of the finest actresses Indian cinema as ever seen. She is a social activist who is not afraid to call a spade a spade. She is one actress that we wish we see her on screen more often for the ISI trademark quality she brings to films just with her mere presence. Today, Shabana Azmi celebrates her 68th birthday and on behalf of the entire LatestLY desk, I wish one of Indian cinema's best gems Many Many Happy Returns of the Day! Shah Rukh Khan Receives Backlash for Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi, Shabana Azmi Calls Trolls ‘Disgusting’!

Shabana Azmi is one of the few actresses who has managed to find a perfect balance between commercial and art cinema, even during the resurgence of parallel cinema in the '70s. If you see her romancing Vinod Khanna in Amar Akbar Anthony, you would also see Shabana seethe in silent dismay in Arth. It is not that every movie that Shabana Azmi does is brilliant; there have been some bad films too (Jazbaa anyone?). But the fact that her name is in the cast means that the film has to be special in some way. Anil Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, Dia Mirza Gorge On Eid Delicacies At Shabana Azmi's House – Watch Video.

As she has done too many good films, it makes difficult for me to pick up 7 of my favourite roles of hers. So forgive me if I miss out on what you feel has been her best work, as I cherry-pick some of my favourites here, while I wonder why doesn't Shabana Azmi do more films!

Sparsh

A sensitive love story with two incredible performances from powerhouse actors, Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi (what a jodi!). Sparsh is the kind of film that tells you that you don't need to run around trees to narrate a heart-felt love story that feels naturalistic. While Love is an important feeling in Sparsh, it is more of how the protagonists deal with the insecurities creeping into their relationship over what they feel are their own inadequacies.

Arth

In one of the best films that Mahesh Bhatt has directed, Shabana Azmi plays the wronged woman whose husbands cheats on for another. However, instead of reacting badly to the injustice, she finds inner strength in the situation and become the stronger person in the equation. The grace that Shabana Azmi brings to her role is admirable, and she never looked more beautiful than in the song 'Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar'.

Masoom

Again playing the woman who discovers her husband's infidelity years after the incident, Shabana Azmi, this time, manages to infuse some grey shades in her performance. Her character's animosity (which had replaced her affection) for her husband's illegitimate kid is understandable which makes her final forgiveness all the more poignant.

Fire 

At the peak of her acclaim, Shabana Azmi did a movie that no one expected her to do - she plays a neglected housewife who indulges in a lesbian affair with her equally neglected sister-in-law. While a lot of hue and cry was raised over the lesbian themes in this Deepa Mehta film, what people missed out was a fine performance that showed trajectories of loneliness, guilt, love and ultimately freedom from the shackles of patriarchy.

Godmother

Another role filled with more grey shades. Shabana Azmi takes inspiration from real-life as she plays Santokben Jadeja, who ran the Mafia operations of Porbandar, Gujarat. While the movie hasn't aged very well, Shabana Azmi towers in what could be her most powerful, uncouth performance that deservedly got the National Award (again) for her.

Morning Raga

Bollywood is often accused of making South Indian stereotypes what with the exaggerated accents and OTT dressing style (looking at you, Shah Rukh Khan in Ra.One). Shabana Azmi shows you in Morning Raga on how to play a Tamilian by actually looking, talking and behaving like one. It is not just that she only did complete justice to the accent; Azmi also manages to bring out the suppressed grief her character withholds within herself with much conviction. And if you see her 'sing' to Mahaganapathim, you might be forgiven for thinking she has actually done that (it is actually Bombay Jayashree who has sung it).

Neerja

Neerja, that came out in 2016, surprised the hell out of us in telling a very moving story told in a deft manner. Sonam Kapoor gives her career-best performance here as the real-life braveheart airhostess Neerja Bhanot, but it is Shabana Azmi's touching performance as her grieving mother that will leave you in tears and teach the younger generation why we call her one of the best actresses of all time!

We sure hope that Shabana Azmi's birthday resolve is not to be miserly in her role selection and we see her in more movies soon!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2018 01:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).