EXCLUSIVE Interview! Fatima Sana Shaikh on Dhak Dhak & Sam Bahadur | Not Just Bollywood

Watching Dhak Dhak on the big screen will give you an instant adrenaline rush. In an interview with Firtspost’s Lachmi Deb Roy, Fatima Sana Shaikh says that riding a bike in the mountains humbles her. She believes that the shift in the women led films are happening because of the shift in the thought process. Edited excerpts from the interview:  What was your _Dhak Dhak_ moment? My dhak dhak moments are many. When I fall in love then also it’s a Dhak Dhak moment, when my heart breaks then also it’s a Dhak Dhak moment**.** I enjoyed the riding bit in Dhak Dhak a lot. It’s fun and it’s like going into a meditative state. Going to the mountains humble you and you realise how small you are. Nature can completely engulf you. How much do you relate to the character of Sky in _Dhak Dhak_ ? I understand her anxiety. So, there are some things that I like about my character, Sky - like travelling, photography and documenting things. But there are certain things that I don’t understand about her like her aggression. Even though a lot of unpredictable things happen in life, I try to see the positive aspect. But Sky doesn’t. What was the most challenging bit in the film? The most challenging bit was adjusting with the altitude. My oxygen level kept dipping. And especially when I went to Khardung La, I don’t have any memory of that scene. I was in a haze and the moment my shot was done; they just took me down. So, I have absolutely no memory of it. I was on Iv too because I had a stomach upset. That was very difficult for my body to adjust to. I didn’t realise that it would be so tough, but my body didn’t accept it. But I still love the mountain. In fact, I am going back to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. What is your opinion on women’s roles changing? And here there was no boxing in Dhak Dhak, so what do you have to say about it? We did have a Mother India. In the eighties and nineties, the shift started that we had only male dominated films. But there were very few films made then because the conversation of women’s equality in general in society happened very late. Initially we didn’t have the basic rights. So, making that space will take time and it doesn’t happen in just one day. And this space will happen only when we are having conversations about women’s equality. Now, at a film set there are so many women working behind the cameras which wasn’t there ten years back. Now, this change is happening because of the fights that had been fought by women years back for reality. [caption id=“attachment_13270302” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Fatima Sana Shaikh on Dhak Dhak & Sam Bahadur[/caption] What is it that you have to say about vulnerability of women characters and also now we get to see women in cinema talking openly about desires and not shying away from showing their dark side? It’s nice and beautiful because now we have writers who are giving us scripts keeping women’s sentiments in mind because the change is coming from the writers it is now getting reflected on screens. There is a shift in the thought process. And now men are comfortable with their feminine side. Now men are also understanding the concept of equality. When you make films like Dhak Dhak, it creates a shift in the thought process of the masses. Tell us about your role in Sam Bahadur… I am excited because we are celebrating Sam Manekshaw. I am playing Indira Gandhi. But the film is majorly about him and everybody who has been a part of his life and journey. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.