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Fatima Sana Shaikh

Fatima Sana Shaikh

Actor · Born January 11, 1992 (34) · Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Fatima Sana Shaikh (born January 11, 1992) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi cinema and television. She began her career as a child artist in the late 1990s, appearing in films such as the comedy *Chachi 420* (1997) and the action drama *One 2 Ka 4* (2001). After early adult appearances in the romantic drama *Akaash Vani* (2013) and the Telugu film *Nuvvu Nenu Okatavudaam* (2014), she achieved major mainstream recognition portraying wrestler Geeta Phogat in the biographical sports drama *Dangal* (2016). She subsequently starred in the period action adventure *Thugs of Hindostan* (2018). Throughout the 2020s, Shaikh expanded her work across theatrical and streaming platforms, starring in the ensemble black comedy *Ludo* (2020), the anthology films *Ajeeb Daastaans* (2021) and *Modern Love Mumbai* (2022), and the neo-Western thriller *Thar* (2022). She later portrayed Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the biographical drama *Sam Bahadur* (2023) and starred in the road adventure drama *Dhak Dhak* (2023). Her later projects include the anthology feature *Metro... In Dino* (2025), *Aap Jaisa Koi* (2025), *Gustaakh Ishq* (2025), and the 2026 series *Hunkkaar: The Roar*.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 11, 1992 (34)
From
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Works as
Actor
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 20 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 7% in 30 days

What are Fatima Sana Shaikh's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
51%
Morality
13%
Self
10%
Power
10%
Society
8%
Ideas
5%
Survival
3%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 4 of 8 analyzed roles.

Hero
4 of 8
Ally
4 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Melancholic
5
Warm
4
Romantic
4
Bittersweet
4
Other
12

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Fatima Sana Shaikh's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (9).

Subscription and free streaming for Fatima Sana Shaikh's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

20 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Teen Kauwe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Hunkkaar: The Roar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 1 episode · as ACP Jasleen Singh Soin

  • Gustaakh Ishq(2025)

    as Mannat Ali Beg 'Minni'

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Aap Jaisa Koi(2025)

    as Madhu Bose

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Metro in Dino(2025)

    as Shruti

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Sam Bahadur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Indira Gandhi

  • Dhak Dhak(2023)

    as Shashi Kumar 'SKY' Yadav

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Modern Love Mumbai(2022)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lalzari 'Lali'

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Thar(2022)

    as Chetna

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Ajeeb Daastaans(2021)

    as Lipakshi (segment 'Majnu')

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari(2020)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Ludo(2020)

    as Pinky

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Thugs of Hindostan(2018)

    as Zafira Baig

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Dangal(2016)

    as Geeta Phogat

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Nuvvu Nenu Okatavudaam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as sruti

  • Akaash Vani(2013)

    as Sumbul

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • One 2 Ka 4(2001)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Chachi 420 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Bharti

  • Chupp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Actor

  • Nyaya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 20 titles, 19 of them dated from 1997 to 2026; peak year 2017.

Biggest box office

Dangal (2016)

$304M worldwide

Highest rated

Dangal (2016)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

19972026

Peak 2017 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1997Screen debut· Chachi 420

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting20 of 20: 20 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64th

By decade

1990s2 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s4 · acting2020s12 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 0% of 9 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Fatima Sana Shaikh's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 12; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 13 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Thugs of Hindostan (2018)

95th percentile spread · 58% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Dangal (2016)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Fatima Sana Shaikh's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 50 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles28–54 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 62 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 39 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 23 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Fatima Sana Shaikh work with?

People who share at least 2 of Fatima Sana Shaikh's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Anurag Basu shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers