Shabana Azmi nearly quit Bollywood! The untold story of how Sulakshana Pandit saved her career

While several people have multiple stories and experiences with Pandit, veteran actress Shabana Azmi shared she would have quit the film industry if it wasn't for the late actress.

Speaking to The Times of India, Shabana had shared how Pandit motivated her after she was devastated by a remark on her dance by a choreographer.

Shabana told the daily, "I was rehearsing for a qawwali-mujra for a Manmohan Desai film. You know how good I am at filmy dancing? So there I was struggling with those intricate steps when the choreographer, who was a formidable name, snidely commented, 'Why come into the acting field when you don’t know how to dance?'"

"That was it! I was aghast, livid, and affronted. I stormed out of the set in full Anarkali costume, makeup streaming down my face as I wept. Since my car was not to be seen, I rushed from the studio on foot towards my home, vowing to quit. Can you imagine the sight for bystanders?"

The veteran revealed Sulakshana Pandit told her, "But why should you quit? He is the one who misbehaved. He should quit. He is there because of us actresses, not the other way around."

"It was one of those Eureka moments of my life. It said so much about her empathy and intelligence. You know, when I came into the movies, my only aspiration was to look like Sulakshana Pandit.

"She is, was, so pretty. I loved her wigs and makeup, and wanted to look like her on screen. I hadn’t met her for decades. Now I wish I had, to thank her for that advice she gave me," Shabana added.

Family sources said Pandit breathed her last at Nanavati Hospital, where she had been undergoing treatment for some time.

Belonging to a lineage of great musicians — she was the niece of Pandit Jasraj — Sulakshana Pandit straddled both acting and singing with rare distinction.

In an era dominated by glamour and melody, she carved out a niche as a leading lady of emotional depth and a singer of classical refinement.

As an actress, she starred opposite some of the biggest names of the decade — Sanjeev Kumar, Jeetendra, and Shashi Kapoor — in memorable films like Uljhan (1975), Sankoch (1976), and Khandaan (1979).

Her voice gave Hindi cinema several gems, including “Tu Hi Sagar Hai, Tu Hi Kinara” from Sankalp (1975), for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer.

She collaborated with maestros such as R.D. Burman, Kalyanji-Anandji, and Laxmikant-Pyarelal, leaving behind a treasury of romantic and devotional melodies.

Despite a bright start, Sulakshana gradually withdrew from the spotlight in the late 1980s, facing years of ill health and personal hardship. She remained unmarried and was long associated with her unfulfilled affection for actor Sanjeev Kumar, a story that became part of Bollywood lore.

Tributes from across the film and music fraternity have poured in, celebrating her as “a rare talent who could act with her eyes and sing with her soul.”

Her siblings include music composer duo Jatin and Lalit Pandit, popularly known as Jatin–Lalit, and former Bollywood actor Vijayata Pandit.

Vijayata made her film debut opposite Kumar Gaurav in Love Story (1981). She later starred opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee in the Bengali film Amar Sangi.