Actress Shabana Azmi feels sad that Hindi films, that once used to protect the Urdu language, are slowly shunning it.

"If you compare today's songs with the songs of the 1960s and 1970s, then definitely today's songs are according to the demand. But if you see, Hindi films used to protect the Urdu language as they used it but it is slowly dying and I feel bad for it," the 62-year-old said here Wednesday at the Tahzeeb Gangojaman - A Unique Mushaira.

Shabana's husband and renowned writer Javed Akhtar also read out his poetry here and the actress calls him a "great poet".

"I consider Javed Akhtar a great poet, not because he is my husband but because his poems are his own voice and not affected by anyone else," Shabana said.

The mushaira was hosted by writer-director Rumi Jaffery and Shashi Ranjan.