Shabana was selected for her singing skills

Actor-filmmaker Aparna Sen, who is gearing up for the release of her forthcoming directorial "Sonata", says that veteran actress Shabana Azmi was chosen for the film because of her singing skills.

"For Dolon Sen, I chose Shabana because she sings so well. Many people don't know that Shabana sings so well," Aparna said in an interview at the screening of "Sonata" on Tuesday.

"During the shoot of a tele-film called 'Picnic', there was a part where Shabana had to sing badly but she said how do I sing badly when actually i sing rather well. That's when I came to know about it," added Aparna.

Sen's latest directorial venture, releasing on April 21, is adapted from the play "Sonata" by playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar. The film talks about the life of three unmarried women friends -- Aruna Chaturvedi (professor), Dolon Sen (banker) and Subhadra Parekh (journalist) played by Sen, Shabana Azmi and Lillete Dubey, respectively -- facing mid-life crises.