I Crave Layers: Fatima Sana Shaikh On Why Female Actors Still Struggle For Challenging Roles

Fatima Sana Shaikh has said she is still searching for roles that test her fully. The actor, known for Dangal, wants parts with more conflict, risk and depth. She feels female actors still get fewer chances to play layered people on screen.

Her comments also point to a wider debate in Hindi cinema. Many actors want stories beyond familiar images and safe roles. Fatima Sana Shaikh says ambition, doubt and honest feedback keep her moving through an industry that changes every Friday.

Fatima Sana Shaikh on limited roles for female actors

Speaking about the choices offered to women in films, Fatima Sana Shaikh said the space remains narrow. She wants more characters who are not simple or predictable. "For female actors, the range of roles available is still quite limited. We're craving layered, grey and negative characters. I still haven't found something that completely satisfies that need to explore and truly challenge myself as an actor," she says.

That hunger, according to Fatima Sana Shaikh, is not just about fame. It is also about staying alert as an artiste. She believes growth can slow down when the need to improve fades. In films, she says, success does not protect anyone for long.

"Because I think if that ends, then your growth is stunted. That's the beauty – or the drawback – of this industry. It's Friday to Friday. No matter where you are in your career, you have to start again," she says.

Fatima Sana Shaikh on stardom and audience love

Fatima Sana Shaikh also spoke openly about wanting wider recognition. For her, stardom means many people value the work and feel a connection. That bond can come through a role or through the person behind it. She hopes to reach viewers who truly respond to her journey.

"Everybody wants stardom. It's basically people appreciating your work - a lot of people appreciating your work. They connect with you, either off screen or on screen, and you become someone they relate to or aspire to. I want to be that person. I hope I find my tribe and touch enough lives to receive that kind of love. But that can only happen with hard work, destiny and luck. You have to find the right film, the right thing," she says.

The actor remains clear that a larger audience cannot arrive by wish alone. She links it to effort, timing and the right project. Her remarks show that she wants success, but not without roles that allow change and growth.

Fatima Sana Shaikh on self-doubt and performance

Despite past praise, Fatima Sana Shaikh says she rarely feels fully pleased with her acting. She continues to review her work closely. That habit, she suggests, now helps her more than it hurts. "I still question myself but in a positive way," she says and continues, "I'm never happy with my performance. I feel I'm not good enough - but that helps me, though not in a self-deprecating way anymore."

Her view of self-doubt has changed with time. Earlier, it affected her mind and held back risk-taking. Now, she says, the same feeling pushes her towards improvement. She uses it as fuel, not as a reason to judge herself harshly.

"Earlier, it used to really stop me from being a better version of myself. It would affect my mental health. It would stop me from growing, from taking risks. Now that has shifted. I'm still questioning myself. I'm still not happy with whatever I do. But now, at least, it's in a positive way. I'm taking that self-doubt to propel myself as an artiste rather than to put myself down," she says.

Fatima Sana Shaikh on feedback and staying grounded

Fatima Sana Shaikh also values people who do not simply praise her. She says such people help her stay aware of reality. At the same time, she admits she sometimes wants simple appreciation from someone close. "I wish I had at least one person in my life who would just say I've done a great job."

Her manager, she says, often points out what went wrong. Fatima sees that as useful, not cruel. "My manager tells me ten things what I've not done right, and that's good. These are the people who are my reality check. They are my mirrors. If I don't have them, then I don't know… it's not a good place to be in. It's a nice bubble to live in where people think you're amazing, but it's a bubble. It's not that they are working for me; I am working for them. It's a relationship," she adds.

With each project, Fatima Sana Shaikh aims to show a different shade of her craft. Her comments underline a search for tougher parts, wider reach and honest growth. For now, audiences continue to wait for the many sides she hopes to bring on screen.