Fatima Sana Shaikh made her Bollywood debut alongside Aamir Khan in 'Dangal' in which she played the role of wrestler Geeta Phogat. With a stellar start to her Bollywood journey, Fatima's next 'Thugs Of Hindostan' will again see the actress work alongside stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir.
Names of actresses like Alia Bhatt and Shraddha Kapoor were tossed around as speculations for the role, however, it was Fatima who was finally cast. The actress gave several auditions for the role, talking about her journey to a leading daily, Fatima said, "It doesn’t matter because you are giving your 100% every day. And you will only feel good once you go back home knowing you have put in so much effort."
Did she want her next to be as big as 'Dangal' turned out to be, Fatima adds, "No, it was nothing like that. I wanted to do a good film that I would be excited about, regardless of how big or small it may be. You have to be excited about something [in a film]. With this film, everything fell into right place; it’s like a perfect movie. I was waiting for a script that’s exciting. I gave so many auditions for this film because I really wanted the part. If there’s something exciting, I would do anything for it."
Talking about feeling the pressure to live up to expectations, Fatima quips, "My problem is that I put a lot of pressure on myself regardless of anyone else doing it or not. All the time, I’m worried about everything, but that’s good because it pushes me to do my best all the time. I don’t slack off. You should keep a little pressure on yourself in life. When you get such good things after working hard, you value them more."
While Fatima auditioned for 'Thugs Of Hindostan' just like she did for 'Dangal', did she think that it will be a lot easier post the success of her debut film? Fatima said, "I don’t think so. Your writer, director, or producer has to be convinced about you, or until they see the character in you. And if they are auditioning you and if you also want the part, then what’s the harm in it? If I want something, I would like to prove myself. If I really want to do a film, and it requires me to audition for two years, I’d do it."'
Talking about if she wants to be the next big actress, Fatima quips, "I don’t function like that. I have been acting since I was a kid and have struggled a lot, so my thinking has never been like, ‘Oh, once I grow up, I have to be the biggest superstar heroine’. I used to just think, ‘Today, I am going to this audition and I wish I get this ad film; and I should give my 100%’. And that’s how I have always worked."
Further, when the daily asked her if she wanted to do solo female-oriented films, Fatima concluded saying, "Honestly, I am not thinking about such things. When I was doing Dangal (2016), I only had that film in hand. Now, I only have Thugs [Of Hindostan] and it will consume a lot of time. So, I don’t have any space left to accommodate anything else in life. It’s a huge opportunity for me and if I don’t do well, or fall short in front of Aamir (Khan) Sir or Amitabh (Bachchan) sir, it will be very bad. So, I have to give my 1000%. They have shown faith in me. I shouldn’t look odd, at least in front of them. I just have to give it my all again."
CREDITS: HINDUSTAN TIMES
