Speaking to The Indian Express, Shabana opened up about getting such varied roles even at 75 and recalled a time when actors would regularly have several films releasing close to each other. Shabana plays Mai in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Batwara 1947, a film set against the backdrop of India’s Partition. The film is based on Asghar Wajahat’s play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai and features Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Karan Deol and Ali Fazal alongside Shabana.