Fatima Sana Shaikh: We did one round of look test for film

Sam Bahadur

After Thar and Modern Love Mumbai, it's time for Fatima Sana Shaikh to focus on her next, Sam Bahadur. The actor will play the late Indira Gandhi in the Sam Manekshaw biopic that sees Vicky Kaushal in the titular role and Sanya Malhotra as his wife Siloo Manekshaw. Exciting as it is to step into the shoes of the former prime minister, Shaikh considers working with director Meghna Gulzar a bigger incentive. "I got excited about the film only because of Meghna," she grins.

Indira Gandhi

Her admiration for the filmmaker is evident as she says, "She is good at her craft. Going by the meetings I have had with her, it's evident that she is sensitive and knowledgeable. She knows all the characters inside out. It's an empowering feeling when you look at a woman who is so much in control of the film. I am always interested to learn about filmmaking, and it's nice to have somebody who lets you absorb everything."

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The actor reveals that the drama - centred on the country's first Field Marshal who was the chief of the Army staff during the 1971 India-Pakistan war - will roll in August. For now, Shaikh's days consist of intense prep and look tests. "We did one round of look test. I am watching [Gandhi's] interviews and reading a lot of material on her, including her childhood. It won't be shown on screen, but it's interesting to learn about figures who have changed history."