Fatima Sana Shaikh calls Kangana Ranaut, Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone bankable female actors: ‘If Shah Rukh Khan gets more money, it’s because…’

Fatima Sana Shaikh recently announced her upcoming film Aap Jaisa Koi, a love story co-starring R Madhavan. Expressing her admiration for her co-star, she revealed, “I’ve been smitten by Madhavan all my life. So, I told him that I have the hugest crush on you. He knows how much I love him for his craft and how much I respect him. He is also so respectful towards me. He is also such a nerd. He brings in these new gadgets and gets so excited about them. He is such a child then,” she was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Alongside Aap Jaisa Koi, Fatima has also wrapped up her shoot for Metro… In Dino, marking her reunion with director Anurag Basu after Ludo. Speaking about her bond with the filmmaker, she shared, “I have told Anurag Basu that whichever film you make, give me the smallest role and I will do it. Now, I have started arm-twisting him also,” she quipped.
The film has experienced delays in both its production and release schedule, but Fatima supported the decision, emphasizing that she preferred Anurag Basu to take his time and create a well-crafted film rather than rushing its release. She highlighted that while many assume Basu has complete control over the process, he is actually managing an ensemble cast, each with different availabilities, along with various other logistical challenges. According to her, coordinating schedules for multiple actors is a complex task, which naturally leads to delays.

In Bollywood, male actors are often repeated by directors in multiple films, while female actors rarely get the same opportunity. Addressing this disparity, Fatima explained, “It’s because they bring in the money. If Shah Rukh Khan gets more money, it’s because he can give you the audience. Certain actors bring a certain number of eyeballs with them. So, when you are casting as a director, you are also thinking of the money aspect. And there are still a number of bankable male actors, thus they reunite with them more. But how many bankable female actors do we have? There’s Kangana Ranaut, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, but the number is few. That’s why we are not repeated. If we bring in numbers, we will also be repeated.”