Fatima Sana Shaikh has carved her niche in Bollywood with versatile and fearless roles, from Dangal to Sam Bahadur and her recent outing, Aap Jaisa Koi. Known for portraying women with both strength and vulnerability.

Fatima recently revealed what drew her to play Madhu in Aap Jaisa Koi  a character unapologetic yet far from the clichés of the ‘strong woman’.

Fatima Sana Shaikh challenges the ‘aggressive strong woman’ stereotype

According to Fatima, the industry often equates strong female characters with aggression, smoking, or conflict with men. She believes true strength lies in thought, presence, and individuality, elements rarely showcased on screen. Breaking this mold, she wants to explore genres where women are underrepresented, particularly comedy.

Women have great comic timing too,’ says Fatima Sana Shaikh

‘We don’t see women in comedy films, which is sad because we have great comic timing too,’ she says, highlighting the lack of commercially women-led stories.

On staying relevant, Fatima admits the industry’s interest is ever-changing. She credits her varied choices for keeping her in the game and is now set for an exciting lineup, including Gustaakh Ishq with Vijay Varma, an untitled Roy Kapoor Films project, and a courtroom drama.

Her career choices reflect a consistent push against predictability, making Fatima one of the industry’s most evolving talents.