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Big B, Akshay, Ranbir, Farhan to walk the ramp for Shabana Azmi's Mijwan (see pics)

Mumbai: Years after Kaifi Azmi wrote the moving poem "Aurat", envisioning women empowerment, his daughter, veteran actress and social activist Shabana Azmi, is bringing together Bollywood's iconic male actors like Amitabh Bachchan to walk for

PTI PTI Updated on: March 26, 2014 18:54 IST


The aim of the NGO is to empower rural India with a focus on the girlchild and women, and it is now jointly run by Shabana and her godchild Namrata Goyal.

The fundraising fashion show will showcase creations made using chikankari art by Mijwan girls. It will be held April 1 at the Grand Hyatt here.

"It is very heartening that my colleagues in the film industry whom we approached, were all aware of Mijwan and warmed up to the idea and I am truly indebted to them for their support," Shabana said.

"In fact, they have been forward in spite of gruelling film schedules. Some will come straight from their shooting, while some need to go back for a night shift, but they are accommodating us because the issue is so important," she added.

Citing an excerpt from her father's poem "Aurat", she said that he wrote:
"Qadr ab tak teri tareeq ney jaani hi nahi
Tujhmein sholay bhi hain bas ashkfishani hi nahi
Tu haqeeqat bhi hai dilchasp kahani hi nahi
Teri hasti bhi ik cheez jawani hi nahi
Apni tareeq ka unvaan badalna hai tujhe
Uth meri jaan mere saath hi chalna hai tujhe."

Roughly translated:

"Not only tears, there are glowing embers within you
Not fables alone, there is a reality to you
Not only your youth, your existence has value too.
You have to change the course of your history
Rise my love! You have to come walk with me."

Women empowerment is a subject very close to Shabana's heart, and she is happy with the way Mijwan has grown from strength to strength over the years.

"When we started, we had one embroidery centre in Mijwan. Today we have 10 centres across Uttar Pradesh and we're still counting. The girls and women now have a livelihood because of which their status within the family has changed," Shabana said.

"They are saying no to marriage before the age of 18, have opened bank accounts in their names and they are being looked upon as assets, not liabilities. It's a huge mindset transformation in a patriarchal society," she added.
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