Ghoomer is her “revenge” against her cricket-fanatic family, laughs Shabana Azmi. In the upcoming R Balki-directed movie, she plays a cricket-obsessed woman who is a source of support to her cricketer-granddaughter, essayed by Saiyami Kher. This, when she isn’t fond of the sport in real-life. “I’m considered panvati; I only have to look at the TV and somebody from the Indian team gets clean bowled. My family and staff boycott me [when a match is on]. If I enter the room, I am made to sit with my back to the TV. So when Balki offered me this role, I felt this was my revenge on the lot. Javed [Akhtar, writer-husband] is a sports buff and has tried to explain the intricacies of cricket to me often,” she smiles.

In her first collaboration with Balki, the veteran actor is deeply impressed by the director’s working style. “He is relaxed on the sets, but he will make you do the shot again and again till he gets what he wants. He adores cricket and Abhishek says this is his most emotional film.”