Mumbai, Maharashtra | July 30, 2025: Actress Fatima Sana Shaikh, who has had a busy July with two back-to-back film releases, Metro… In Dino and Aap Jaisa Koi, recently delved into conversations about modern relationships, gender equality, and the often-overlooked effects of patriarchy on men. Quips the actress about her recent foray into love stories, “I’m living my love life through the films that I’m doing.”
In both her recent films, Shaikh’s characters navigate relationships striving for equality, albeit in distinct ways. When asked about this theme, she emphasized its importance: “Equality in a relationship is very important. I don’t have to be a man, I would love to be feminine and the man doesn’t have to be me. But there is a synergy that is important to maintain. I don’t want my partner to change me and I wouldn’t want him to change because we got attracted to each other because we were ourselves. That’s why it’s important to first respect each other and once that happens, then everything is fine.”
In Aap Jaisa Koi, Fatima Sana Shaikh is paired opposite R. Madhavan, whose character’s mindset is shaped by patriarchal norms. Shaikh asserted that patriarchy’s adverse effects aren’t limited to women alone. “There are men also who are in a toxic relationship. The unfortunate fact is that when they come out with their stories, they’re ridiculed. That’s also because of patriarchy because boys are not supposed to cry. They can’t complain as they are supposed to have this front that ‘I take care of the family. I’ll take care of everybody. I can’t hurt. I’m not weak because it’s not accepted’. So, it’s not that only women are facing the wrath of patriarchy, even men are,” she explained.
The conversation also touched upon the recent debate ignited by actor Deepika Padukone’s alleged feud with filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga over the film Spirit. This incident sparked discussions about female actors being labeled “unprofessional” or “difficult” when they assert their demands. Fatima Sana Shaikh agreed that women taking a stand for themselves can still ruffle feathers among male power brokers in the industry. “In any profession men are more, especially in corporate. There are only a few professions where women are more in numbers,” she noted.
However, the actress expressed optimism about the evolving landscape. “The understanding of what actually a woman thinks, it’s changing because there are more women who are now working. The perception is now breaking about how a woman should be like, what kind of roles she should do. Now, we can imagine a woman also being a villain. Earlier, we used to see only men as antagonists,” she highlighted. Shaikh believes this shift is not just in creative roles but also in real-world professional settings. “Even in corporations, we could only imagine a man being a boss but not a woman. But if a woman is playing that character, then she carries the baggage of what a woman in real life carries when she’s at that position,” she concluded, underscoring the added pressures women face in leadership roles.