Shabana Raza Bajpayee on why she turned producer: 'We wanted to follow our heart'

Mumbai, July 26 (IANS) After being away from the limelight for a long time, former actress Shabana Raza Bajpayee has commenced the next chapter in her cinematic journey.

However, instead of being in front of the camera, she has decided to stay behind it this time as a producer.

In 2024, Shabana launched her own production banner, Aurega Studios, along with her actor husband Manoj Bajpayee and producer Vikram Khakhar, with the clear intention to tell stories that resonate with the audience on an emotional level. The first project of the studio was "Bhaiyya Ji" starring Manoj. The movie marked Manoj's 100th release.

Commemorating her birthday on Saturday, Shabana opened up about her decision to make a comeback as a producer. She revealed that she had been a hands-on mom all these years, and now that her daughter, Ava, is in a boarding school, she has the mental space to focus on other things.

Shedding light on her decision, Shabana said, “I was a hands-on mom until a year ago. Our daughter Ava is now in boarding school, so I have the time and mind space to consider other things."

"There was a time when Manoj wanted to do a certain kind of films and I told him why don’t we go ahead and produce those, so that we can follow our heart,” the 'Fiza' actress added.

Shabana made her acting debut opposite Bobby Deol in 1998 with "Kareeb". Her innocence and girl-next-door vibe made her an instant hit among the viewers.

After this, she went on to appear in films like "Fiza", alongside Hrithik Roshan and Karisma Kapoor, and "Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet" with Ajay Devgn.

She is known to have chosen emotionally rich roles during her career.

However, after her marriage to Manoj in 2006, Shabana decided to focus on her family life and raising their daughter away from the media glare.

She stepped away from public life completely.

--IANS

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