Fatima Sana Shaikh On Facing Sexism In Industry

"The Irony Is That When You Try To Say Something, She Won't Appreciate It"

Sharing an example from the film industry, Shaikh recalled being in meetings where she was presented with a female-centric story about a woman trying to find her voice.

Fatima said, "Even I have been in such rooms, where you go to a room, the producer tells you that this is a mind-blowing film for you. Then, the role is of a woman who is trying to find a voice" — an idea that is female-oriented, taps into women-empowerment, social politics — however, Shaikh finds no woman in the room except her, emphasizing the irony of the situation.

"The irony is that when you try to say something, she won't appreciate it. She can't handle it. And then, she will make weird jokes, or she will mansplain. Because she will tell us how women feel when there is a violent crime. She will tell us that actually, it's not that bad. It's like this," she explains. However, she also points out that the way to deal with all of it is to "learn to stand up for yourself and fight," she added.

Fatima's Journey In The Industry

Fatima Sana Shaikh started out as a child artist in the 1990s, appearing in films like "Chachi 420" alongside Kamal Haasan. She returned to acting as an adult with her breakout role as wrestler Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan's "Dangal" (2016), one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever, for which she underwent months of physical training. Following that success, she has spoken candidly in past interviews about the challenges of sustaining momentum in the industry — including the underwhelming response to her next release, "Thugs of Hindostan" (2018) — before going on to build a varied filmography spanning "Ludo," "Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari," "Thar" and "Sam Bahadur," in which she portrayed Indira Gandhi.

About 'Hunkkaar—The Roar'

Meanwhile, Fatima takes on the role of a no-nonsense police officer in the upcoming courtroom drama. The show is produced by Birla Studios and Applause Entertainment, in association with Priyanka Chopra's production house, Purple Pebble Pictures, and Mangata Films Production.

Directed by Karan D. Kapadia and Nitya Mehra, "Hunkkaar—The Roar" is scheduled to stream on JioHotstar from September 25.