Exclusive: What's cooking between Aamir Khan and Fatima Sana Shaikh?

That Aamir Khan has taken Fatima Sana Shaikh under his wings since their last glorious outing — Dangal — together, is no secret. Not only has he absorbed her as an intern in his production house, he has also been recommending the young actor to other production houses. Aamir’s efforts may have borne fruit if the poster of Thugs of Hindostan is anything to go by. It is quite a well-known fact that Aamir had suggested her name to Aditya Chopra for Thugs of Hindostan and was very keen to rope her in to star opposite him in the film.

While speculation have been rife with Befikre star Vaani Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor’s names being tossed around as possible candidates for the film, a photograph of Fatima Sana Shaikh holding a sword was recently leaked, creating quite a stir in the industry. When contacted, Yash Raj Films denied having cast Fatima and, indeed, said that casting has not even been finalised yet — two days after the photo went viral. The YRF spokesperson said, “Though it is true that Fatima has auditioned for a role in the film, no actress has been finalised for Thugs of Hindostan.”

The mystery that remains to be solved now is, if Fatima hasn’t signed the film, then who was it that leaked her photo? YRF categorically denied having any involvement, as did Fatima’s spokesperson. We wonder if it could be stickler-for-perfection Aamir himself who leaked the photo in order to get his actress-of-choice on board. If so, Mr. Perfect sure does know how to cause a buzz while still playing it safe!