Fatima Sana Shaikh: Did not need script to say yes

Fatima Sana Shaikh talks about hopping aboard Anurag Basu's next film with Rajkummar Rao

Unperturbed but compelled to introspect following the debacle of Thugs Of Hindostan (2018), Fatima Sana Shaikh has her eyes trained on her next.

Anurag Basu's offering, touted to be a sequel to Life In A... Metro (2007), sees her pair up with long-time friend Rajkummar Rao in one of four short features that the film will consist of. Shaikh tells mid-day that giving her nod to the venture was a no-brainer.

"As soon as I heard that he [Basu] was making a movie, and was interested in [casting] me, I was excited. I didn't care about the script. There are some directors whose worlds you simply wish to be part of," says Shaikh, adding that apart from Basu, Rajkumar Hirani and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's offerings are those she would "shut my eyes and say yes to."

Rajkummar Rao

Vijay Krishna Acharya's magnum opus, Thugs Of Hindostan, was expected to draw crowds to cinema halls, given that the filmmaker had pulled off a casting coup by roping in Amitabh Bachchan for the Aamir Khan starrer.

Admitting that the debacle came as a shock for those who had "devoted a year to the film", Shaikh says, "The [failure of the] film made me introspect. I've started doing workshops, which is something I never did till now."

Anurag Basu

They help me discover myself. Processes like working on the posture, thinking about acting, and how crucial breathing is when acting, are the things I'm learning."

Interestingly, discussion about her skills never makes for conversation with mentor Khan, who refers to her as among the finest actors he's worked with. "We talk about scripts and characters, but I won't ask him what I am lacking in as an actor."

Also read: Fatima Sana Shaikh heartbroken with Thugs of Hindostan failure

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