PremiumDabba Cartel: Shabana Azmi admits she didn't want Jyotika to be part of the series; Apologizes, 'Really grateful that...'
The much-awaited trailer of the Netflix series, Dabba Cartel, was released on February 18. At the trailer launch event, Shabana Azmi opened up about not wanting Jyotika to be a part of the series.
Last Updated: 03.49 PM, Feb 18, 2025
Dabba Cartel is an upcoming crime drama series that blends suspense, family drama, and high-stakes action. The trailer for the series was finally released today, February 18. The cast and crew of the show were present at the trailer launch event and they discussed several interesting facts regarding the series. During the event, Shabana Azmi revealed that she did not want Jyotika to be a part of the series and also shared her experience of working with the younger generation.
Shabana Azmi on casting Jyotika in Dabba Cartel
During the trailer launch event of Dabba Cartel, Shibani Dandekar opened up about casting Shabana Azmi and Anjali Anand and shared that no one could give justice to their characters except them. Meanwhile, Shabana Azmi admitted that she did not want Jyotika to be a part of the series.
The veteran actress shared, "I have tried to remove two girls from this. One is Jyotika but she does not know this but I was like no no why Jyothika, take others. But they said you can do what you want, we are not going to change her." Holding her one ear as a gesture of apologizing to her, Azmi said, "And I am really grateful that you have played it, Jyotika. It would have robbed me of the pleasure of working with you."
ALSO READ: Dabba Cartel OTT release date: Here's where and when you can watch Shabana Azmi-led crime drama
Shabana Azmi on working with younger generation
The cast of Dabba Cartel is mostly younger than Shabana Azmi. Sharing her working experience, she said, "I love it. I really feel grateful that I happened to be at the right place at the right time. The fact that I am working with younger people who are bringing completely different sensibilities from mine is always very exciting because you learn from each other. For me, the realization that 50 years since I started, I am still doing work that I enjoy that I am very grateful for because what I enjoy the most is being in front of the camera so I am very grateful for this opportunity."
Dabba Cartel features Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Jyotika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Anjali Anand, Sai Tamhankar, Jisshu Sengupta, Bhupendra Jadawat, and Lillete Dubey. The creators of the show are Shibani Akhtar, Gaurav Kapur, Akanksha Seda, and Vishnu Menon. It is produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidwani's Excel Entertainment and directed by Hitesh Batia.
Dabba Cartel is a fresh take on drama and suspense - where a single unexpected decision determines far-reaching consequences for women and their families. The series will land on Netflix on February 28, 2025.