Actress Fatima Sana Shaikh recently reflected on her remarkable journey, sharing how she is now living a dream she once thought was beyond her reach.
Celebrating Success and Perseverance
Expressing her gratitude, Fatima shared an inspiring message about perseverance, self-belief, and embracing opportunities that once seemed unimaginable. The ‘Dangal’ actress celebrated a significant milestone in her career by receiving her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in the short film “Ayesha.” She described the moment of holding the iconic Black Lady trophy as “surreal and magical.”
In her Instagram post, Fatima captioned, “Received my first @filmfare award Best Actress for Ayesha, a short film directed by @misterbistar and produced by @motwayne @shikhajain10 Bohot hi zyaada khush hoon aaj! Holding the Black Lady in my hands feels surreal and magical.”
She further expressed, “My younger self never allowed herself to dream this big. And yet, here I am.. living a dream I didn’t even give myself permission to imagine. Really grateful for everything I have today. @jiteshpillaai @filmfare thank you for making this real for me.”
About the Film “Ayesha”
Fatima is the star of the short film Ayesha, directed by Nihit Bhave. The film, which also features Vaishnavi Ratna Prashant and Kshitee Jog, premiered at Tokyo’s Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia in June and is competing for a nomination in the short film categories at the 2025 Oscars. Nihit announced on social media, “I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that our short film premieres at the Oscar-qualifying @ssff.official this June, and we’re in the Asia-International competition.”
Fatima’s Rise to Fame
Fatima Sana Shaikh gained prominence for her role as freestyle wrestler Geeta Phogat in the 2016 biographical sports drama “Dangal,” directed by Nitesh Tiwari, which also starred Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat and Sanya Malhotra as Babita Phogat.
Following her breakout role in “Dangal,” she appeared in several films, including “Thugs of Hindostan,” “Bittoo Boss,” “Akaash Vani,” “Ludo,” “Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari,” “Ajeeb Daastaans,” “Thar,” and “Dhak Dhak.”
Her most recent project was in “Metro… In Dino,” released in July 2025, and she also made an appearance in Vivek Soni’s family drama, “Aap Jaisa Ko.”