Shabana Azmi to play antagonist in Emraan Hashmi-Disha Patani's Awarapan 2

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi has joined the cast of Emraan Hashmi-Disha Patani-led Awarapan 2. Producer Vishesh Bhatt announced that Azmi would be playing Nafisa, a negative character in the film.

In Awarapan 2, writer Bilal Siddiqui first conceived the part as a quietly authoritative presence in the criminal world, whose entry changes the story in an unexpected way and has a direct effect on Shivam's (Emraan Hashmi's character) life.

Siddiqui developed the character's psychology, menace and narrative weight, but the question of how the role would look, sound and feel remained open. Bhatt then reworked the part by placing a woman in Shivam's world, a move that changed the story's dynamic.



The character was then reimagined as Nafisa.

Azmi joined the cast of Awarapan 2 on her birthday, September 18, 2025. According to the producers, her arrival helped define Nafisa's place in the film. The development also carries a personal dimension, as the Bhatt family and Azmi have shared a long association over the years through films, conversations and industry ties. For Vishesh Bhatt, that connection is linked to his own upbringing and to the stories that shaped him.

Vishesh Bhatt said, "Nafisa could only ever be Shabana ji. She brings to this role an impact, a power and a presence that are entirely her own. She came home on her birthday, and everything found its place."