Shabana Azmi joins cast of Steven Spielberg's Halo

Shabana Azmi

Shabana Azmi has joined the cast of Steven Spielberg's 9-part series Halo, which will be directed by Otto Bathurst (Robin Hood). Halo is one of the most popular video game franchises in the world. Produced by Showtime, the series is set to be their most ambitious series ever. The shoot will begin in Budapest this year and the series will release in 2021.

Joining Azmi will be Californication actor Natascha McElhone along with Bokeem Woodbine, Bentley Kalu, Natasha Culzac and Kate Kennedy. The series will dramatise the conflict between humanity and an alien race known as the Covenant in the 26th century. Azmi will play Admiral Margaret Parangosky, the head of the Office of Naval Intelligence.

"It can't get any bigger than this. Asian actors have been fighting for color-blind casting for years... finally its become a reality. This is a new territory for me. I am both excited and nervous which is a good place to be in."

Ask her how she bagged the part and she replies, "It just fell into my lap! I had to give up on two projects I was scheduled to do in Mumbai but figured it would be worth it."

Recently, Shabana Azmi has also been roped in for Faraz Arif Ansari's LGBTQ drama Sheer Qorma.

Shabana will be seen as a mother in the film, which also stars Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta. "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 our dates and I said yes. We had the first workshop yesterday, and everything came together organically. I am looking forward to the shoot," Shabana said.

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