Fatima Sana Shaikh: Seeing Aamir Khan's strong work ethics, Sanya Malhotra and I also developed them

As Dhak Dhak is now released, Fatima Sana Shaikh is simultaneously gearing up for the teaser launch of Sam Bahadur. In the film, the actor plays the role of the former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, and will be reuniting with her Dangal co-actor, Sanya Malhotra. During a recent interaction, Fatima opened up about working with Sanya once again after a very long time, and that too in diverse roles.

Resilience in the face of industry comparisons:

Fatima told Mid Day that she is aching to do a film where they have a lot of interactions because she feels Sanya is an incredible actor. Their friendship is an appropriate response to an industry that takes pleasure in setting actors against one another. The Dhak Dhak actor claimed that constant comparisons with Sanya are just white noise to her. They were talking about how, even if two actors start their careers at the same time, their paths will always diverge. The circumstances of their initial work shape their decisions.

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When Fatima first heard the comparisons, she was confused. But she is happy where she is since she knows that her decisions brought her here. The actor needs to treat herself kindly since being harsh on herself is a form of self-deprecation, and she refuses to engage in such behaviour.

Learning from Aamir Khan:

Fatima's career has flourished in the seven years since the sports drama Dangal was released. Though she follows her gut when making film selections, she attributes her work ethic to mentor and friend Aamir Khan. The time she spent with him while filming Dangal and Thugs of Hindostan (2018) was enlightening.

Fatima further shared, "When Sanya and I started our careers, he was such a professional on set. Seeing his strong work ethics, we also developed them. When you see a star behaving in such a sincere manner, you realise that being there on time and learning your lines is the least an actor can do."

Reuniting with Anurag Basu:

These years have also taught her the value of having dependable friends in the cutthroat industry. She feels lucky in that regard, counting Aamir, Anurag Basu, Shonali Bose, and Anil Kapoor among her well-wishers. The actor, who is reuniting with Anurag for Metro... In Dino, revealed that the director helped her become less critical of herself. She recalled that the filmmaker has helped build her confidence. When she did Ludo [2020], she used to criticise herself a lot. She would keep saying that she was not a good actor. But Anurag kept on saying, "Don’t be so harsh on yourself. You are good." Then she felt that if Anurag Basu was saying this, there must be something in her.

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Regarding Sam Bahadur, Vicky Kaushal plays the title role in the Meghna Gulzar-directed film. The biopic is slated to release on December 1, 2023.