'Slapstick is always sexist': Fatima Sana Shaikh on how women in comedy are reduced to stereotypes

Fatima Sana Shaikh says women are reduced to stereotypes in comedy while praising Vidya Balan, Juhi Chawla, Madhuri Dixit, Preity Zinta (Image Credits Instagram)

Fatima Sana Shaikh has called attention to the shortage of well-written female comedy characters in Hindi entertainment, arguing that women in the genre are frequently reduced to stereotypes rather than being given meaningful character arcs.

While promoting her new series 'Hunkkaar: The Roar' starring Aneet Padda and Raghubir Yadav, Shaikh spoke, in a recent interview, about the changing landscape of comedy and the limited space for lighthearted stories in contemporary cinema and streaming. The actor pointed out that female characters are often made the subject of jokes based on their looks, sexuality or humiliation, and argued that comedy can work without making women the butt of the joke.

Fatima Sana Shaikh says there is a lack of strong female comedy roles

According to Fatima Sana Shaikh, one of the biggest issues with contemporary comedy is the lack of substantial female characters. The actor believes women are often taken for granted in the genre, with their characters receiving little development or emotional growth.Speaking to Variety India, Shaikh said there is a need for better comedy shows and films, particularly at a time when thrillers and darker stories dominate the entertainment landscape.

“We do need good comedy shows. We tend to lean towards thrillers and dark films. And we’re only getting films like that. In general, lighter films are not being made these days,” she said.Shaikh's comments come amid a broader conversation about the need for more diverse female characters across genres, including comedy, where women have often been confined to supporting roles or used primarily as comic devices.Shaikh also addressed the stereotypes that frequently form the basis of comedy involving women.

According to the actor, humour often relies on jokes about a woman's appearance, sexuality or humiliation rather than allowing the character to generate comedy through her personality, circumstances or emotional journey.“Slapstick is always sexist,” she said, agreeing that the genre can find humour without reducing female characters to the butt of the joke.

Fatima Sana Shaikh praises Vidya Balan, Juhi Chawla and Madhuri Dixit

The 'Hunkkaar' actor also looked back at Hindi cinema of the 1990s and 2000s, when she feels female performers had greater opportunities to experiment with different kinds of roles.

Shaikh specifically praised Vidya Balan and Juhi Chawla for their comic abilities and pointed to the diversity of female performances from that period.“We don’t have enough lighthearted and comic roles for women. Vidya Balan’s comic timing is amazing. Juhi Chawla is also great. Back then, there were still varied roles that every actor played. Now, everybody is boxed in one way of looking, being or performing roles. Everything is one-dimensional. It wasn’t like that before. Madhuri (Dixit) was so distinctly different from Juhi (Chawla). And Preity Zinta was so distinctly different. Not only aesthetic-wise, even their performances were different,” she said.Shaikh further noted that comedy once occupied a more accessible space in mainstream Hindi cinema, with films often designed as family viewing experiences.“My last light-hearted film was ‘Aap Jaisa Koi.’ It was a PG-13 film. Before, even comedy was PG-13. Be it comedies from Amrish Puri or Om Puri. They played different characters which were palatable to a family. All of us could go to a theater and watch the films. Now most films are also A-rated,” she said.

Fatima Sana Shaikh’s current work slate

Fatima Sana Shaikh is currently promoting the Jio Hotstar series, 'Hunkkaar: The Roar', which brings her together with Zoya Hussain, Aneet Padda and Raghubir Yadav. A recent report by Mid Day has suggested that Fatima Sana Shaikh has shot for a special appearance in Ram Gopal Varma's 'Police Company' that headlines Harshvardhan Rane as Daya Nayak.