Mumbai, Sep 20 (IANS) Veteran actress Shabana Azmi celebrated her 75th birthday on Thursday, and she decided to spend her special day in the presence of some close friends, such as Preity Zinta, Divya Dutta, Rekha, Neena Gupta, Soni Razdan, Deepti Naval, and Ila Arun.

Treating the netizens with some unseen photographs from the birthday celebration, Divya wrote about her bond with each of the guests that evening.

Talking about Rekha, she penned, “The #Diva @rekhajifanpage . twinning in black and white with her was a high in itself! I have danced on salaameishq meri jaan so many times as a child!! That adaaa!!! Omg!! (sic)”

Praising the ‘Mandi’ actors, Neena Gupta, Ila Arun and Soni Razdan, along with Deepti Naval, Divya added, “My fav film mandi and the amazing actors. the lovely @neena_gupta ,@ilaarun and @sonirazdan !.who left such a huge impact on me !!i always asked shyam benegal, “if i was an actor that time, what role would you have given me?”, and he always smiled mysteriously. to have them together in t same frame along with the brilliant @deepti.naval, was a delight.”

Showering love on the birthday star Shabana Azmi and her writer husband Javed Akhtar, she went on to say, “and then ofcourse, the life of the party, the birthday girl @azmishabana18 and @javedjaduofficial .that dance..was a celebration of life!! These amazing two people!!

These are people i hold so so dear!!! A magic of that time which continues in fully glory!! These moments are priceless.”

Prior to this, Divya took to Instagram and posted a video montage of herself with Shabana.

Calling her “supremely precious,” she wrote, “And I would never be able to put my love for you in words…bas…jab se bade parde par dekha,aap favourite ho gayin..aur jab zindagi ne milne ka, aapko janne ka mauka diya, to aapki sabse badi mureed aur table fan!! Aap kucch kamaal hi ho Shabana di!! (Just… ever since I saw you on the big screen, you became my favourite… and when life gave me the chance to meet you, to get to know you, I became your biggest devotee and table fan!! You are truly something amazing, Shabana di!!).”

–IANS

pm/