Fatima Sana Shaikh: Fate of a film isn’t in my hand, my performance is

Mumbai: Fatima Sana Shaikh started out as a child artiste in the nineties, and arrived in the scene as a grown-up actress with a bang, essaying a central role in the 2016 Aamir Khan blockbuster, Dangal. However, the anti-climax happened with her second release when her second release, Thugs Of Hindostan, flopped on release in Diwali 2018.

She is back on Diwali again this year, with a double delight for fans. Anurag Basu’s anthology Ludo, boasting an ensemble cast, opens on OTT while her other film, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari, will be the first Bollywood release to hit theatres since unlock.

“I am getting work, in spite of people not seen much of my work. Which means people have a certain amount of confidence in me. The success of the film is never in our hands but our performance is. If people like it, you will get work. So I am trying hard to deliver my best. Also, more than anybody putting pressure on us, we put pressure on ourselves,” Fatima told IANS.

“It’s true that I thought that a lot of things will happen once ‘Thugs Of Hindostan’ (released) but that did not happen. What should we do? I cannot deprive myself of the fun that I had shooting the film, working with the best talents of our country and one of the biggest production houses of Bollywood. I am happy about all that and then, one has to move on!” she added.

Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari is directed by Abhishek Sharma and it also features Manoj Bajpayee and Diljit Dosanjh. Sharing her experience of working with the actors, Fatima said: “I am a huge fan of Manoj sir. I watched all his films and every character — whether it is in Aligarh, Gali Guliyaan, Satya, or Gangs Of Wasseypur — is so distinct that they resonate with you. I was nervous when I met him for the first time, but he is a nice human being and of course a great performer.0”

On Diljit, she added: “Diljit, as we all know is a superstar in Punjab. His stage performances and his fan following are so huge! But in reality, he is so down to earth. He is basically a simple person,” she added.

Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari releases on November 15 in theatres while Ludo releases on Netflix on November 12.