Fatima Sana Shaikh on "Metro In Dino," Anurag Basu's Craft, Views on Love

In an exclusive with Deccan Chronicle, Shaikh opens up on working with Anurag Basu and Nitish Tiwari. In addition to that, she shares her thoughts on relationships and her personal marriage philosophy while conveying a message to Generation Z.

I don’t know about being his blue-eyed girl, but I do feel incredibly lucky… Dada has a childlike madness and magic in the way he directs. He trusts his actors, gives you freedom, and lets you surprise him. That kind of faith is rare. He is such a special filmmaker. I can’t wait to collaborate with him again.

Nitish Sir is quite structured. During Dangal, we did many readings together long before we went on to the set. We even blocked days before the day of the shoot. He’s calm, extremely patient, and very funny.

Dada [Anurag Basu], on the other hand, thrives in organized chaos. He’ll change scenes on the spot and ask you to just go with the flow. He chases magic, and once you trust him and get a taste of his way of working, you just get addicted to it. He gets the best out of you. In the film, Ali Fazal and I don’t communicate so much in words, but a lot is said in our silences. That’s the beauty of Dada’s storytelling—he lets you feel without spelling everything out.

But both, in their own ways, deeply value honesty in performance, and they create an atmosphere where magic can happen.

I believe in love and companionship, but I don’t think marriage is the only way to validate it. For me, a relationship should be rooted in understanding, freedom, and growth. If marriage supports that, great. But if not, I don’t think we should romanticize it as the ultimate goal.

Slow down. Take a breath. Not everything needs to happen right now. Our culture has always taught us about balance between ambition and patience, between expression and listening. It’s okay to disconnect, to reflect, and to sit with your thoughts.