Fatima Sana Shaikh admits actors often do work 'they don’t want to' for money: 'Hum ameer ghar se nahi hain' | Interview
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
In a decade-long career, Fatima Sana Shaikh has played a wide range of roles, from Geeta Phogat to PM Indira Gandhi. Yet the star says that, barring a few exceptions, there are few layered, good roles for women in the Hindi entertainment industry. The star, who plays a police officer in the new web series, Hunkkaar, talks about her role, and why actors sometimes are forced to take parts they don’t want to.
Adding to this, Fatima Sana Shaikh is currently starring in JioHotstar's Hunkkaar. There are few good roles for women Hunkkaar , streaming on JioHotstar, is the story of a teenager accusing a self-proclaimed godman of sexual assault. Fatima plays ACP Jasleen Singh Soin, the investigating officer of the case. She says she is grateful for the role, but laments, “Ladkiyon ke liye ache roles bahut kam aate hain (Women get few good roles), the layered characters. The men get to explore their true potential as actors. They get the opportunities.”
Meanwhile, Fatima says the dearth of good opportunities for women is not specific to the entertainment industry. “Cinema is a reflection of society. The gender roles are very clearly defined,” she says, adding, “There, you need some individual who says, ‘No, I want to do something different’. If and when that happens, and the luck is in our favour, we get those opportunities.”
Notably, The star says that the difference in how men and women are portrayed extends to the nuance with which the characters are treated. She argues, “Unfortunately, when women are shown to be grey, you are a vixen or a chudail. We are still stuck in that vamp stereotype. I hope that it changes because you can have a wonderful woman character who is also confused. But we haven’t even reached there. Hopefully, we'll get there soon.”
As per the latest buzz, In her career, Fatima has worked in a dozen films and three web series. She says many actors today are not prolific because of these limited options. “Sometimes, the choices are limited. There are times when you have to do work that you don’t want to,” she says bluntly. But then what compels actors to say yes to projects they don’t like? Fatima responds, “Hum log koi ameer ghar se to hain nahi (We are not from rich families). There are times when you have to compromise, and you choose what is best from whatever little comes to you. It is about timing, too. A show or a movie works, and you get 10 others. If it doesn’t work, your options get limited. But you try to make the best of what you have. However much you romanticise and want to do different kinds of things, you are not putting in the money. You aren’t the producer. You need the money.”
In further updates, Hunkkaar: The Roar stars Fatima Sana Shaikh, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, Raghubir Yadav, Aneet Padda, Ram Kapoor, Arjun Mathur, and Zoya Hussain. The series focuses on a schoolgirl’s allegation of sexual harassment against a revered self-proclaimed godman and the investigation into it. It is streaming on JioHotstar.
On top of that, Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Movie Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times