Veteran superstar Shabana Azmi on Sunday said actresses have a social responsibility and should make "informed" choices on accepting item numbers as such sequences lead to sexualisation of children.

Zee News. quoted Azmi as saying: "I am not going to dictate this is what you should do, I am saying let it be an informed decision. Be aware that when you do a song like that it is leading to the sexualisation of children and there are four-year-old girls dancing at all kinds of weddings to really, really bad songs."

Speaking at a special session of the Kolkata Literary Meet, she added: "Be vigilant of the consequences and the impact it has on children. Make your own choice but make sure it is an informed choice."

Shabana also touched upon "self-regulation" on part of the film industry but also stressed one can`t surrender to the moral brigade.

She explained, "Self-regulation is very important for the film industry. It's like walking on very thin ice because if you start saying this is wrong or that item number is wrong, then tomorrow the moral brigade will say don`t wear this, don't do this. You can`t surrender to that so whatever change comes must come from yourself."

The Umrao Jaan star had spoken out about item numbers being "situational" earlier as well.

"Item numbers will continue to happen. Whether it is required depending on the situation or not, that's what matters. For example, Bidi Jalaye Le of Omkara was fantastically written. It should not be like they are surrendering to the opposite sex," she had said.

Azmi, who has been married to lyricist Javed Akhtar for 30 years, was last seen in Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist.