Sanya Malhotra And Fatima Sana Sheikh: The Striking Duo From Dangal

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- Mamta Mody

In one fell swoop, Bollywood debutants Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra have grabbed the attention of everyone in the film industry, from top producers to hard-nosed critics. The two leading actors of last year’s top-grossing film, Dangal, proved not just that they have serious acting chops, but also that they are capable of rigorous physical transformation. Their portrayal of Indian wrestling’s most inspiring women, Geeta and Babita Phogat, was pitch-perfect down to the almost sisterly camaraderie they share off-screen as well. They hold hands at red-carpet events, are fiercely protective and appreciative of each other during interviews and kept cheering each other on during the ELLE shoot too.

Before they first met at the Dangal auditions two years ago, they’d had very different journeys. You’ll remember Shaikh as the cherubic five-year-old in the Kamal Haasan-starrer Chachi 420 (1997) and then from smaller parts in films like Akaash Vaani (2013) and Table No 21 (2013) through her early twenties. Malhotra, who is a trained ballet dancer, moved to Mumbai from Delhi when she was shortlisted to be a part of a dance reality show four years ago. When that didn’t work out, she stuck around to pursue acting and auditioned for ads before Dangal came along. The two actors, who are currently interning with their co-star Aamir Khan, talked to us about the challenges of wrestling, films and overnight fame.

4 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT Fatima Sana Shaikh