Neelima Azeem (born 2 December 1958) is an Indian actress, classical dancer, writer and the mother of actors
Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor (; born 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. Initially recognised for portraying romantic roles, he has since taken on parts in action films and thrillers, and is the recipient of several awards, inc ...
,
Ishaan Khatter
Ishaan Khatter (born 1 November 1995) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. The son of actors Rajesh Khattar and Neelima Azeem, he made his first screen appearance as a child in the 2005 film ''Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!'', which starred his ...
. She is known in India for her roles in television shows.
Early life
Neelima Azeem's father was Anwar Azeem, a Marxist journalist and
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (7 June 1914 – 1 June 1987) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, novelist, and journalist in Urdu, Hindi and English. He won four National Film Awards in India. Internationally, his films won the Palme d'Or (Golden ...
. Azeem studied the Kathak form of Indian classical dance and was trained under
Birju Maharaj
Pandit Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 16 January 2022) was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, child molester and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of ...
and
Munna Shukla
Munna Shukla (7 December 1943- 11 January 2022) was a Kathak guru and choreographer of Lucknow Gharana based in New Delhi, India. Born to a family who has been involved in dance for generations, Munna Shukla specialized in Kathak, a classical dan ...
.
Career
Azeem appears in both Hindi-language movies and in television series, she also did many historical and drama movies,
Phir Wahi Talash
''Phir Wahi Talash'' is a television show by director Lekh Tandon broadcast on Doordarshan in 1989–1990.
The show's theme ghazal ''Mere humsafar mere saath tum'', ''Kabhi haadson ki dagar mile kabhi muskilon ka safar mile'' was quite popular ...
,
Amrapali
Āmrapālī, also known as "Ambapālika", "Ambapali", or "Amra" was a celebrated ''nagarvadhu'' (royal courtesan) of the republic of Vaishali (located in present-day Bihar) in ancient India around 500 BC. Following the Buddha's teachings, she b ...
,
The Sword of Tipu Sultan
'
''The Sword of Tipu Sultan'' is an Indian historical drama that was first broadcast on the DD National in February 1990. Based on a novel by Bhagwan Gidwani, this drama was a portrayal of the life and times of Tipu Sultan, the 18th century ru ...
and Junoon. In 2014, she performed at the PanchTatva annual Kathak festival organized by
Birju Maharaj
Pandit Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 16 January 2022) was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, child molester and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of ...
's Kalashram at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan Campus in Mumbai. She also worked in the Hindi movie
Sadak
''Sadak'' () is a 1991 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film directed by Mahesh Bhatt. It stars Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt. The film is one of the highest-grossing movies of the year 1991. The film is also fondly remembered for the lat ...
opposite Deepak Tijori.
Personal life
She married
Pankaj Kapoor
Pankaj Kapur (born 29 May 1954) is an Indian actor who has worked in Hindi theatre, television and films. He has appeared in several television serials and films. He is the recipient of several awards, including a Filmfare Award and three Nati ...
in the year 1979 but they later divorced. Her son Shahid Kapoor is a Bollywood actor. She later married Rajesh Khattar and had a son Ishaan Khattar who is also a Bollywood actor.