Tributes to three silver screen icons born in September

The roles Shabana has chosen have advanced women's cause; she wears her feminism with pride and is an inspiration to women in film industry

- DEEPA GAHLOT

September is the birth month of three screen icons, so a look at their lives and careers is in order. Not only are these three great actresses, but they have been strong, independent, inspiring women.

The famously reclusive Greta Garbo (September 18, 1905) has a syndrome named after her to describe people who have withdrawn socially, like she did, declaring, "I want to be alone." This was, however, after a successful and fulfilling career with films like Queen Christina, Camille, Mata Hari, Ninotchka, and Anna Karenina to remember her by. The Swedish-born star, known for playing mostly tragic characters, is regarded as one of the greatest actresses of all time.

Ruling at the top of the silent era, when her first talkie, Anna Christie came out in 1930, the film had the tagline, "Garbo talks!" The first line she uttered was, "Gimme a whiskey, ginger ale on the side, and don't be stingy, baby." The film won her one of her four Academy Award nominations.

The movie business of that period could not have been easy on women, with the exploitative nature of the studio system, but her talent and success gave her leeway to break norms. Even before she retired, she was strict about her privacy. No visitors were allowed on the sets, not even the studio bosses; she had screens installed so that others on the set could not watch her. She claimed she could not act unless she was by herself.