Her next release was opposite John Abraham in the Shoojit Sircar's political thriller "Madras Cafe" (2013), a drama set during the time of the Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan civil war and the assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Her portrayal was of a British war correspondent in Sri Lanka, and was inspired by many war correspondents, including Anita Pratap. Unlike her debut film, Fakhri dubbed her own dialogues and was approached for the film because Sircar wanted "a girl who looked Indian but had an [English] accent". Upon release, "Madras Cafe" received acclaim from the critics, and the performances of the lead actors were praised. Saibal Chatterjee said Fakhri "strikes the right notes", whereas Rajeev Masand called her "pleasantly competent". Anuj Kumar of "The Hindu" was particularly impressed with the film and thought that Fakhri has proved that she has more to her than just a "prominent pout". Later that year, she made a special appearance in the action comedy "Phata Poster Nikhla Hero" to perform in the item number "Dhating Naach" with the film's lead actor Shahid Kapoor.