Shabana Azmi is an Indian actress of Hindi film, television and theatre. One of India's most acclaimed actresses, Azmi is known for her portrayals of distinctive, often unconventional female characters across several genres. She has won a record five National Film Awards for Best Actress, in addition to five Filmfare Awards and several international honours among other accolades. In 1998, she was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour of the country, and in 2012, she was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour.