Naseeruddin Shah is so good with so many different dialects: Fatima Sana Shaikh

Fatima Sana Shaikh was recently at the IFP Season 15, elaborating on her working experience with the legendary Naseeruddin Shah in her recently released movie ‘Gustaakh Ishq’.

In an engaging conversation over ‘Bringing Back Old-School Romance’, Fatima, along with her ‘Gutsaakh Ishq’ co-star Vijay Varma, got candid about flaws, imperfections and conflict in love and relationships.

Fatima, while in a conversation, called Naseeruddin Shah ‘inherently a teacher’. She recalled a memory that captured the mix of fear and admiration that came with performing opposite him, sharing, “I was actually very worried he would judge me. There was this one scene where I had to cry and he did something really small, but it changed the whole moment. He placed my hand on his pulse so I could feel the heartbeat, basically telling me to be in the moment. What really empowered me was Naseer Sir saying, ‘It’s okay. Feel it. You don’t have to hit those beats perfectly’.”

When asked how Naseeruddin Shah’s energy and presence shaped the atmosphere on set and fed into their performances as actors, Vijay expressed, “Have you heard him? It sounds like God is talking to you directly. He has got that baritone, that voice that comes from somewhere else. It sounds like the voice of the universe.”

“Like Morgan Freeman is the voice of God in Hollywood and we have Naseeruddin Shah as the voice of God. I mean, his grip over the languages - Hindi, Urdu, English, even Punjabi and Parsi… He is so good with so many different dialects. He is an institution,” she added.

When asked about one modern love habit she finds charming, Fatima revealed, “I like video calls. Especially in long-distance relationships, it feels good. Those early morning voice notes, or video calls, are so cute.”