Fatima Sana Shaikh on riding a bike for Dhak Dhak: ‘Liberating feeling to do something that is not a norm in man’s world’

As someone who had spoken her mind right from childhood, actor Fatima Sana Shaikh says one needs to take care of themselves in this journey called life and go with the flow.
As opposed to her character from Raat Rani episode of Modern Love Mumbai, of the spirited and loquacious Laali who grabs her destiny with both hands after her husband deserts her, Shaikh said she has always had the ability to adapt to changing times.
“I’ve been rebellious and independent as a child. Of course, when you have a break-up in a relationship, you feel everything is over. But at one moment, you realise, it doesn’t matter. You just have to take care of yourself. Life goes on and it will all be fine,” the Thar actor told PTI in a Zoom interview from Mumbai.
Fatima Sana Shaikh, a renowned child star of films such as Chachi 420 and One 2 Ka 4, made her Hindi cinema debut as a lead in the 2016 superhit Dangal.

“I learnt to ride a bike when I was young. I’ve done everything that I wanted to do and which is not allowed in a way in society. In life, you are always at a different emotional stage.
“When Raat Rani came to me, I was emotionally somewhat volatile. When you play a character and are on the journey of filmmaking, you need people. Sometimes, a character is not that liberating, but when I did Thar I connected with everybody,” she added.
People help you grow and help you come out of things, said the 30-year-old, adding that working on Raat Rani, directed Shonali Bose, was an enriching experience.
“(With people around) you become a better person. That’s what also happened with Raat Rani. More than anything else, it’s the relationship with Shonali that is extremely special to me.” Shaikh is currently shooting for Dhak Dhak, a road trip film which will follow the journey of four women on bikes. The movie also stars Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza and Sanjhana Sanghi.

As not many women are seen riding bikes, the actor said it is “unsettling” for many people to see them trying to shake up the status quo.
“When people see a woman riding a bike, they become irritated. They follow you, honk at you, they try to race with you, and I was in a mask so they didn’t know who I was. What I realised was that this is also a liberating feeling to do something that is not really a norm in a man’s world,” she added.
The actor is also looking forward to starting the shoot of Sam Bahadur, a biopic on field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, in which she will play the role of former prime miner Indira Gandhi. Directed Meghna Gulzar, the film stars Vicky Kaushal in the title role.
“We will start shooting in August. I am reading the material on Indira Gandhi and watching her videos. I’m excited to be working with Meghna Gulzar. She is an incredible director. I love her filmography and how detail-oriented she is.”
The Mumbai chapter of the beloved US original anthology series features six stories, exploring different shades of love and relationships. Produced Pritish Nandy Communications, Modern Love Mumbai premiered on Amazon Prime Video on May 13.