EASY RIDER

FATIMA SANA SHAIKH FEELS LIFE IS A JOURNEY. SHE SHARES SOME POINTERS WITH SUMAN SHARMA

-  SUMAN SHARMA

Fatima Sana Shaikh started off as a child artiste. You probably remember her as a cherubic kid in films like Chachi 420 (1997) and One 2 Ka 4 (2001). The child then grew up and made an explosive entry with Dangal (2016) as wrestling prodigy Geeta Phogat. She's been quite picky in her choices, choosing films which aren't mere big budget productions but where she has tons to do as well. She wants to stay relevant as an actor and doesn't shy away from pushing the envelope to achieve that goal. She talks about finding herself as a person through acting in this engaging conversation.

Dhak Dhak was about feeling liberal and overcoming your fears. What are other things that make you feel liberal?

Riding a bike or leaving the house to work does not provide a sense of freedom and generosity. It is important to consider how you conduct yourself, your attitude towards others or your opinions and how seriously you live your life. Many people tell us that we are rebelling because we are not listening to the world, but I am listening to myself and that is important. In our society, women face numerous constraints. There are numerous dos and don’ts for them. However, if you do not speak out against it, it will be extremely difficult for future generations to obtain that freedom. It takes centuries for things to change. But someone has to start somewhere.

And what are the fears that you want to overcome?

I am afraid of everything, but I get a lot of excitement from learning new things, so I don’t let fear control me. I use my fear to propel myself forward. I’ve never been so terrified of something in my life that it paralysed me.

How was it working with director Meghna Gulzar in Sam Bahadur?