Bollywood actress Fatima Sana Shaikh, whose performance as wrestler Geeta Phogat in the blockbuster 2016 movie “Dangal” has left everyone spellbound, recently shared openly about life as a child artist. Well before she stole the spotlight with her acting performance, she was seen performing in several movies like “Chachi 420,” “Ishq,” and “One 2 Ka 4.”
Shaikh opened up in a recent interview about her early days in show business, telling that she was exposed to scenes not suitable for children. She recalled times of being tired and listening to things not suitable for adults on set. While nowadays they have laws to regulate child performers to protect them, it was not so when she began.
Speaking to Filmfare, Shaikh revealed, “I did get exposed to situations a child shouldn’t be. Nowadays, there are rules like limited working hours and guardian monitoring. When I was a child artist, I used to work 15-hour days and eavesdrop on inappropriately spoken adult conversations. My parents were present, but after they laid down expectations from me, there wasn’t much monitoring.”
The actress also mentioned the harsh criticism that normally comes the way of child actors regarding their appearance. “You appreciate how insensitive these comments are when you are a grown-up, but when you hear them as a five- or ten-year-old, your concept of the ideal image gets warped,” she added.
Discussing her journey into acting, Shaikh mentioned that she is originally from Jammu and Kashmir and lived near Kamalistan and Filmistan studios in Mumbai. “Mumbai residents are generally interested in film shootings. My parents would go and watch them on a daily basis, and they would take my brother and me along. At some point or the other, perhaps they might have asked for an entry for their children in films. That is where the journey began. Since they were from a lower-middle-class family and did not have anyone in Mumbai, they were just struggling to survive,” she recalled.
Fatima Sana Shaikh began early with starring roles in 1997 films “Ishq” and “Chachi 420,” in addition to “Bade Dilwala,” “Khoobsurat,” and “One 2 Ka 4.” Her metamorphosis into successful performer from child artist bears testament to determination and talent which marks her career.
