How does it feel to go from Dhak Dhak to playing the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Sam Bahadur? Daunting, admits Fatima Sana Shaikh. “I was nervous when I got the role, I didn’t know if I could pull it off. The personality of this character felt too big for me. She exists in public memory distinctly,” says the actor. Today, as she is seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Vicky Kaushal—who plays Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw—in the trailer, she attributes it to director Meghna Gulzar. “When I told Meghna I wasn’t sure [about doing the part], she told me to trust her. I didn’t have faith in myself, but she did. She handed me the entire research material.” 

Meghna Gulzar