<p>"Valentine celebrations are actually a western concept which are actually being used as a marketing gimmick. But even so, nobody has a right to say that it cannot be celebrated. And any kind of tactics that are extra constitutional are something the civil society has to stand up against," she told reporters.<br /><br />She was speaking on the sidelines of a function where the book 'Kaifi and I - A memoir by Shaukat Kaifi' was released by Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan. 'Kaifi and I' is the English translation of the Urdu memoirs penned by Shabana's mother Shaukat on the actress' father Kaifi Azmi.<br /><br />Talking about her association with Hyderabad, where she was born, Shabana said she loved the Deccani culture and its food. "I was born at Mallepally in Hyderabad. After that I lived all my life in Mumbai. But I always constantly come back to Hyderabad. For me what is striking about Hyderabad is food, the language, the Deccani dialect.<br /><br />The fact that it is a culturally rich heritage place. This was the city where my parents met. I have very strong roots in Hyderabad. The first three films I did with Shyam Benegal were all made in Hyderabad. 'Ankur', 'Nishant' and 'Mandi' were made here," she said. </p>
<p>"Valentine celebrations are actually a western concept which are actually being used as a marketing gimmick. But even so, nobody has a right to say that it cannot be celebrated. And any kind of tactics that are extra constitutional are something the civil society has to stand up against," she told reporters.<br /><br />She was speaking on the sidelines of a function where the book 'Kaifi and I - A memoir by Shaukat Kaifi' was released by Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan. 'Kaifi and I' is the English translation of the Urdu memoirs penned by Shabana's mother Shaukat on the actress' father Kaifi Azmi.<br /><br />Talking about her association with Hyderabad, where she was born, Shabana said she loved the Deccani culture and its food. "I was born at Mallepally in Hyderabad. After that I lived all my life in Mumbai. But I always constantly come back to Hyderabad. For me what is striking about Hyderabad is food, the language, the Deccani dialect.<br /><br />The fact that it is a culturally rich heritage place. This was the city where my parents met. I have very strong roots in Hyderabad. The first three films I did with Shyam Benegal were all made in Hyderabad. 'Ankur', 'Nishant' and 'Mandi' were made here," she said. </p>
