Filmfare Exclusive: Fatima Sana Shaikh on what she learnt from Aamir Khan

Fatima Sana Shaikh received a lot of appreciation for the film Dangal where she shared the screen with Sanya Malhotra, Aparshakti Khurana and Aamir Khan. The actress shares a good bond with Khan and was also a part of his daughter’s wedding celebrations. In a conversation Jitesh Pillaai, Editor-in-Chief, Filmfare for In the Ring With Filmfare, Fatima revealed the biggest lesson she learnt from the superstar.

Speaking about her struggles before Dangal happened, she stated, “I was struggling for three years. I used to give auditions every day. I got shortlisted for some projects but not selected. It can be demotivating at times. Now, if you are struggling, you have to do something to earn money. You cannot be just auditioning if you do not come from a certain background.”

She continued, “Aamir is very easy to work with. He is a very giving actor. Also, a lot of my wrestling scenes were with Nitesh sir. I did a lot of scenes without him. But when he is on set, he is very professional and comes on time. He is a producer’s actor. That is what I have learnt from him. Every second on set costs. If you are one second late, it costs money. I learnt that I need to be on time, learn my lines and be aware. There is a habit that you wear a costume to set and take it with you because it looks nice. But people forget that somebody else has paid for it. Either you give them the money or not take it because it is not fair to the producers. So that’s what I have learnt.”

Dangal is a sports drama revolving around a father who trains his daughters to be wrestlers. Fatima played the role of wrestler Geeta Phogat in Dangal while Aamir Khan played the role of her father Mahavir Phogat.