Shabana Azmi joins Swara Bhasker, Divya Dutta in Faraz Ansari's upcoming queer film Sheer Qorma

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi is the latest addition to the cast of Faraz Ansari’s upcoming directorial venture Sheer Qorma. [caption id=“attachment_4217293” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Shabana Azmi. Image via Facebook[/caption] The movie features Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta in the lead. The film will follow a queer woman searching for her sense of belonging, identity and acceptance from her family. Ansari said that he chose Bhaskar and Dutta as they are “strong allies of the LGBTQIA+ community.” He revealed that when he started writing the film, he had already envisioned Dutta as part of it. According to a press release issued by the makers, the film is a “heart-rending narrative of the longing for love and acceptance, felt by queer children in their parental homes that plays out through delicate story-telling, told through characters of courageous queer women of colour.” “Divya Dutta recommended the Sheer Qorma script to me. I was moved by it and met Faraz who came across as sincere, honest and deeply committed to the story. The bonus is working with Divya and Swara so we reworked the dates a bit and I said yes. We had the first workshop yesterday and everything came together organically. I am looking forward to the shoot,” Azmi said in a statement. Ansari said having the critically-acclaimed actor on board is a wish come true. “The character that Shabana ji essays in Sheer Qorma is going to not only resonate with mothers all across the world but will also open a much needed dialogue about parenthood, and with not just parents of queer children but a more universal dialogue that I hope will bring a lot of love back in our universe. “Shabana ji’s character in Sheer Qorma is the mother we all deserve,” the director said.