An old picture of actor Fatima Sana Shaikh where she has an uncanny resemblance with cricketer Shubman Gill from her breakthrough role as wrestler Geeta Phogat from Dangal (2016) is doing the rounds on the internet. “Gill is a good-looking guy”, says Shaikh, who is happy to join in on the fun and doesn’t mind the comparison.

The 31-year-old confesses that when her friends saw the posts online, they tagged her and made a lot of fun of her. “Yes, I saw the post. There is a resemblance and I can’t even deny it. All my friends tagged me on it. I was not spared. It was so funny,” she jokes, adding, “Mereko bura nahi laga. There was nothing wrong in it,” she says.

The actor, who was recently seen alongside actor Vicky Kaushal in Sam Bahadur, says she has been compared to many famous people in her life. “People have come up to me and said that I look like (politician) Priyanka Gandhi and (actor) Katrina Kaif. I think, everybody has around 10 doppelgangers in the whole world, so, I’m not surprised I look like different people. Sometimes I joke, ‘Main toh bachi hi nahin’,” she tells us.

For Shaikh, this picture going viral seven years after the film came out, is special as it proves the audience still remembers her performance and her role from the movie. “Imagine, people have such vivid memories about my character from Dangal. It is so strong that they were able to instantly point out the similarity, I was happy about it,” she ends.

New Delhi: She is bold and beautiful, and successful. That she is a Dalit, only adds that bit of hurt, and grit, to her persona. “Actress Hema Malini is an MP from the neighbouring temple town of Mathura. Did these Hindu leaders/sadhus question her election candidature like they are slamming mine?” asks an incredulous Archana Gautam.

Since the day Congress announced Archana as it’s candidate for the Hastinapur seat, the little-known model and movie actor has been inundated by a coarse avalanche of her bikini-clad pictures on social media. As if on cue, the religious seers raised a red flag over “such a woman’s” suitability to fight elections from the holy town of Mahabharat mythology.

But with stigma and struggle part of her hardscrabble upbringing in the deeply feudal western UP, Archana has come too far to back down now. “I am being run down while Hema Malini was not. . . I think because I am a Dalit. Else, she also wore skimpy clothes...This is trolling,” she told TOI.

It is difficult to figure out if Archana’s grit flows from her tough upbringing or if her flight for freedom, that took her to Mumbai, Chennai, and landed the wide eyed go-getter on silver screen, steeled her to question and confront.

But the 26 year old knows her Ambedkar enough to credit her growth to the Constitution, and also to tell the sadhus that their opposition to her is akin to “bringing religion into politics”, contrary to the “secular Constitution”. After finding Untouchability all around her growing up, she found it liberating that “there is no discrimination in modelling/film industry”.

It is intriguing that the articulate young “star” attracting such attention is from the weak Congress ticket. But she says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has enabled her aspirations to move to the next level. “I am confident Congress can win. My voters have voted SP, BSP, BJP. I am asking Hastinapur to give me a chance too. I will develop my village. I am a local,” she says with conviction.

In Mayawati, she finds an “inspiration of the community” and is urging people to support her like they did “our elder sister”.

Far from the puritan worldview of conservatives, Archana paints in their midst a society where “girls like me” are harassed by rowdies no sooner we step out on the streets and are promptly pushed back inside the oppressive four walls. “Our girls have small dreams but even they die early. . . My victory will liberate them,” she says, of her dream behind the political plunge.

In the end, the trolled Dalit girl sees a historic mission for herself. “Draupadi had cursed Hastinapur that no woman will rise from here. That curse will be broken this time by a woman,” she said, with the confidence of a self-made person.

Meerut: A new battle is brewing in Hastinapur and at its centre is not Draupadi but Archana Gautam. Soon after Congress named the actor, model and beauty pageant title holder as the party’s candidate from the constituency, bikini-clad pictures of her started surfacing on social media. The Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha has now jumped in to say that her candidature from the “ancient, holy city” has hurt the sentiments of the Hindus and Jains, many of whom consider it a pilgrimage centre.

“It is no secret that Mahabharata-era Hastinapur, which is also a Jain pilgrimage centre, is revered by followers of different faiths, including Hindus. Congress has fielded a bikini model from here. We strongly protest this move and appeal to the party to withdraw her name or we will be forced to protest,” said Ashok Sharma, national vice president of Hindu Mahasabha.

“I have nothing against any profession or individual, but a party must be careful what message its actions will convey to the general public at large,” said BJP’s west UP vice president Manoj Poswal.

Gautam, 26, winner of beauty pageants and actress last seen in adult comedy Great Grand Masti, remained unfazed. “I consider it nothing more than just trolling. I was born in Hastinapur, this is my birthplace. I know the region in and out and that is why Priyanka (Gandhi) didi found me suitable. Those who are circulating my bikini-clad pictures have exposed their own mindset. I am proud of what I do.”

Rebuffing the criticism, senior Congress leader Alka Lamba said, “What kind of a mindset judges a woman by the role she portrays on screen or the profession they choose. Even (BJP leader) Smriti Irani was a model before appearing in TV serials. We do not support those who share posters from her modeling days. I want to tell Archana Gautam to stay put and keep working hard. If she wins, it will be a victory for the women, and also a victory over regressive ideologies.”

Hastinapur in UP is a small town and assembly constituency on the banks of the Ganga in Meerut district. It was the capital city of the Kuru kingdom mentioned in the Mahabharata, and is home to various places of worship such as the Pandeshwara and the Karna temples. Hastinapur is also a major Jain pilgrimage centre as it is believed to be the birthplace of three Jain Tirthankaras.

He has the confidence that comes with success. But Tiger Shroff admits that during the making of his debut film, Heropanti, he was assailed with doubts and it was only when he saw the complete film that he returned home reassured.

“Till then I’d just been following my director's (habbir Khan) cues and was worried that I was doing something wrong. But when I saw the film, with the background music and other technical departments enhancing the final product, I understood that cinema is not a one-man show but a team effort," says Jackie Shroff’s young cub, promising that should he win any awards, he'll dedicate them to the whole team.

There's still time for the awards now. Right now Tiger is enjoying the rewards of a first hit. Not everyone expected the film to work given that Sabbir's last film Kambakkht Ishq which released four years ago,couldn’t woo the box-office. But Tiger has no such apprehensions. He has signed a two-film deal with Sabbir and producer Sajid Nadiadwala and is already racing into his next project with the duo, which reportedly stars Kriti Sanon and Shraddha Kapoor.

Tiger maintains that co-stars are unimportant; he is focussed on surprising audiences as an actor, even if it means keeping that sculpted body under wraps. “I don’t want my fans to get sick of my body, its okay if they miss it a little," he grins.

It's interesting that while promoting Heropanti, he was being asked to show off his toned torso, and on the other, he was being compared to ladies like Priyanka Gandhi and Kareena Kapoor. “Well, they’re both beautiful women so I’m happy with the comparisons,” he shrugs. “I know I look different. The fact that people are talking means I've made an impact."

Infact, Sajid had remarked that the combo of childlike innocence and his father's tough persona was something not many could boast of. “Salman had it and it has worked for him. Now it's got me noticed too," he says.

Jackie points out that a beautiful face and a macho body was his USP too. Tiger is quick to add that he doesn't have his dad's X factor. “Even if the biggest stars are in the room, all eyes will turn to my father when he walks in. And he doesn't have to work for attention," marvels Tiger.

He recalls that when Jackie's name was announced at Heropanti's music launch there was an immediate buzz despite the presence of Aamir Khan. “He was trying to hide behind me and not steal my thunder, but he was still the 'Hero'. I don't have that X factor, I have to bank on my skills, be true to my character and hope to be accepted," he sighs.

Well, he has been accepted as a hero, so what next? “I want to be a superhero," quips Tiger who has grown up wanting to fly like his dad did in Shiva Ka Insaaf.

His favourite superhero is Spiderman who despite his super powers is not accepted by society. “That creates vulnerability and the audience will always love and support a vulnerable superhero. Spiderman is the underdog and I love underdogs. We were underdogs in Heropanti too, no one thought the film would work," he says candidly.

It did but what if the next one doesn't? Jackie took the hits and flops in his stride, will he too? “No, in that way I am very different from my father. I want to better myself with every film. My goal is to be at the highest level someday and I know I will get there too. I have strong work ethics," he says with determination.

Tiger points out that though he's been getting offers since he was a teenager, he was more into football and basketball then. “But in India there aren't too many opportunities to make a career in sport, so then I decide to go by the public perception and follow my parents into Bollywood," he says, adding “But like any sportsperson I am extremely competitive."

Subhash Ghai is currently co-producing a Hero remake with Aditya Pancholi's son Sooraj. But buzz is, that among the early offers Tiger got, one was from the showman who had made his father a Hero. While Tiger maintains a studied silence on this, Jackie reveals that Ghai has spoken to him about working with his son. “He's working on a script with Tiger in mind," he adds.