By Subhash K Jha

Shabana who's currently shooting a short-film with Naseeruddin Shah, has a major reason to rejoice.

"Nivara Hakk, the slum organization that I head, has just been given 4184 tenements for free to slum dwellers evicted from Borivili National Park. We'll be getting 12,000 flats by December, making this the largest rehabiliation project in Asia."

This is a personal triumph for Shabana who was accused of publicity gimmickry when she sat down on a hunger strike for slumdwellers 20 years ago.

Says Shabana, "It's been an eight-year struggle for me to acquire these homes for the evicted. I regard this as my biggest achievement. For twenty years starting with my hunger strike in 1986 I've struggled with my organization.

Nivara Hakk and I have grown together. I even received the Gandhi International Peace Prize for this in the House Of Commons...It's been a long struggle, and there's a long struggle ahead."

As for Shabana, the actress, she's currently shooting a short film entitled Rice Plate directed by tv actor Rohit Roy. "It's a small film. But Rohit's enthusiasm is infectious," she breezes off to give another shot with her favourite co-star Naseeruddin Shah.