Fatima Sana Shaikh is garnering accolades for her act in Modern Love: Mumbai. Out of the anthology of six love stories, she is a part of Raat Rani, which is directed by Shonali Bose. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive tête-à-tête. Excerpts:
Since your debut in Dangal, you have been choosing films strategically. Was it a deliberate effort?
There was never a strategy since the beginning. I did Ludo because I wanted to work with Dada (Anurag Basu). Raat Rani happened to be a great script with a great director. Every film you do is for a certain reason. There’s no formula for choosing films.
With Thar and Modern Love: Mumbai just released, you seem to have a packed 2022...
Yes, it looks like that. Since I don’t know, the Covid wave might hit us again, so I am just working and seeing what happens next.
Filmmaker Shonali Bose is a nuanced storyteller. How was the process with her while shooting it?
Raat Rani is written by Nilesh (Maniyar) solely, who had also written The Sky Is Pink with Shonali. She is a very nuanced director in the sense that she is very clear with what she wants from her actors, and she gives a lot of space. She directs in a very loving manner. It was lovely working with her. I am a director’s actor.
Do you feel OTT has better women-oriented stories?
I absolutely agree since OTT has no pressure of box office numbers. In the recent past, shows like the Aarya franchise and Mai did so well. It’s a fact that it is a writer’s medium. Films like Queen, Kahaani or Chhapaak are very few in number on the big screen. But, on OTT, you’ll see several shows where females are headlining the shows.
What kind of roles are you exploring from now on?
I have always been excited to do interesting roles. I don’t plan that I have to do a specific kind of role. I am a very instinctive person. I am very keen on exploring every genre since I want to understand what I like the most. When you apply, you open several avenues for your betterment.
How do you take your failures?
Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari wasn’t actually a flop. The timing of its release was very unfortunate. Thugs of Hindostan is a proper example of that instead. When the film tanked, it had hit me, but now I have seen my highs and lows, and I am prepared for everything now. I have become calmer.
