Fatima Sana Shaikh, now appearing in the thriller Hunkkaar: The Roar recently sat down with IMDb for their exclusive segment ‘Behind The Scenes’. The actress spoke about stepping into the world of law enforcement, the chaos of shooting in freezing conditions, and what it meant to hear Priyanka Chopra praise her performance.
Describing the show, Shaikh said, “Hunkkaar is a very gritty thriller. It’s a story about four underdogs fighting a big force for justice, almost like David versus Goliath, and which proves that justice shall prevail.”
Asked about Priyanka Chopra’s public appreciation of her work, Shaikh was visibly delighted. “I was so happy and I was so excited because I’m a huge fan of hers. So for me, her liking my performance was a huge validation,” she said, before adding, “I love you, Priyanka.”
Shaikh revealed she was hooked on the project from the start. “I read the script within a day, actually. They gave me five episodes, and I was like, ‘please dedo, please dedo,'” she recalled. She also shared that she felt her character had further potential and collaborated with the creators to develop it. “They were open to having conversations, and they were open to my suggestions. So we dug a little deeper, I also presented some ideas and we collaborated on it,” she said.
To prepare for her role, Shaikh met police officers across different ranks. The experience changed how she sees the force. “We often paint the system in one color and we think that they are against us, but a system is made of individuals. There are a lot of officers who really want to protect us. Especially now, after playing the character, we must celebrate them because they really work very hard for us,” she said.
Shaikh also opened up about the toughest day on set, a freezing night shoot in uniform. “It was so cold and I was wearing this uniform. My teeth were chattering and it was around 3 or 4am. Even the focus puller couldn’t operate properly, even the mashaal went off, and I couldn’t complete my dialogues,” she recalled.
Speaking about her co-stars, Shaikh said she was in awe of Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub and Raghubir Yadav. “Zeeshan is very fluid. He’s extremely light in his performances, he’s instinctively good and puts so many layers to such a complex character.” On Raghu ji, she said, “As a person he’s such a soft person. He’s such a cutie. What a pookie.” adding that he plays a character whose morality is completely opposite to his own.
On the power of storytelling, Shaikh said cinema can shift perspectives in ways conversation cannot. “It is not about me telling you that feminism is right, but firsthand seeing how that character is actually living through and fighting those battles. That connects a little more deeply than just a random conversation.”
She named Dangal as a film that left a strong impact on her, drawing a parallel to Hunkkaar. “It spoke about patriarchy, the odds of girls getting into a sport that is so male-dominant, which is a theme even in this show and how this police officer is navigating a male-dominant space against huge forces.”
Asked what she hopes audiences take away, Shaikh said, “There are multiple themes in the show and every character represents a different theme. Once you see the show, you’ll be able to resonate with at least one character.”
