Fatima Sana Shaikh has opened up about how sometimes actors have to accept work they may not really want to do. The actor says financial pressure and the limited number of opportunities can leave performers with little choice.
Speaking about the choices actors make in the industry, Fatima told Hindustan Times, “Hum log koi ameer ghar se to hain nahi (We are not from rich families).” She explained that there are moments when actors have to compromise and pick the best option available to them.
“There are times when you have to compromise, and you choose what is best from whatever little comes to you,” she said. According to Fatima, an actor's opportunities can also depend heavily on how their recent projects perform.
“It is about timing, too. A show or a film works, and you get 10 others. If it doesn't work, your options get limited,” she said. “But you try to make the best of what you have.”
Fatima also pointed out that wanting to experiment does not always mean an actor can simply wait for the perfect role. “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,” she added.
Fatima said roles with enough depth for women are still difficult to find. “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.”
She also feels that female characters are often given limited space to be complex. “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,” Fatima said.
Fatima Sana Shaikh's latest project, Hunkkaar: The Roar, was released on JioHotstar today, September 25. In the show centred on a schoolgirl's allegation of sexual harassment against a self-proclaimed godman, the actor played the role of ACP Jasleen Singh.
Hunkkaar: The Roar also stars Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, Raghubir Yadav, Aneet Padda, Ram Kapoor, Arjun Mathur and Zoya Hussain.
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