When Fatima forgot her lines, Rajkummar Rao waited, and taught her a lesson in patience

Fatima Sana Shaikh is known for her raw honesty and self-awareness, and in a recent conversation, she opened up about a particularly nerve-wracking day during the shoot of ‘Ludo’ with Rajkummar Rao.

Speaking ahead of the release of her upcoming film ‘Metro… In Dino’, Fatima shared a behind-the-scenes memory that stayed with her. Not because it was glamorous, but because it reminded her of the kindness that exists behind the camera.

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The moment in question involved a scene where Rajkummar Rao had a lengthy monologue, but Fatima had just a few lines before that, cues that would help him ease into the rhythm. However, she kept forgetting them.

“I had barely 3-4 lines, but I just couldn’t get them right,” she said. “And because of that, Raj’s monologue kept getting delayed. I felt terrible. I was fumbling again and again. It became this cycle. I messed up, I got nervous, then I messed up even more.”

But what could’ve been a frustrating moment on set turned into something much more compassionate.

“Raj and Dada (director Anurag Basu) were so calm. They didn’t lose their patience. They just said, ‘Fatty, it’s okay.’ That stayed with me,” Fatima recalled.

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She admitted that the experience taught her to offer the same kindness to others. “Now if someone forgets their lines in front of me, I don’t react. I understand. Only the person going through it knows how tough it is in that moment.”

Fatima also reflected on the larger process of filmmaking and the actor’s limited control. “You only have so much power as an actor. Once the camera stops rolling, it’s up to the director. We don’t get to decide which take makes it to the final cut,” she noted.

‘Metro… In Dino’ is her second collaboration with director Anurag Basu, and it seems the actor-director bond has only strengthened since ‘Ludo’.

Backed by Gulshan Kumar & T-Series in association with Anurag Basu Productions, the film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Anurag Basu, and Taani Basu.

The film is going to release in theatres on July 4, 2025.