Epitome of immense talent, versatility

Dazzling, effervescent and scintillating pan-Indian actress, Aditi Rao Hydari was in town recently and in conversation with Gulf Times, she opened up about her film career spanning over 12 years.An artiste of immense talent and versatility, Hydari is well known for her portrayal of several roles in various Indian languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam among others. Hydari has also won the SIIMA Award for Best Debut Actress - Tamil for the movie, ‘Kaatru Veliyidai’ directed by ace director, Mani Ratnam. She also received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her role in ‘Sammohanam’."Working with renowned director, Mani Ratnam sir changed my experience and perspective about acting and movies. Kaatru Veliyidai really changed my life and my whole concept of acting changed thereafter. I became an actor because I could be a Mani Ratnam heroine. It was a dream come true and was a special experience for me,” Hydari said.According to the actress, film-making is about feelings and making people experience those feelings and conveying the emotions of the characters to them. She explained: ”It is taking people into the world of the characters and giving a place in their hearts. I don’t think that language is a barrier for that and that is why I was able to essay several roles in different languages and connect them to the audience. I always wanted to work with certain directors and language was never a barrier in the way of my acting.”Hydari who debuted into acting with the Malayalam movie, ‘Prajapthi’ notes that she works very hard to learn her dialogues in any language. She said: "I make sure that I can be directed and I always love to work under renowned and respected directors. What is important is to be part of the vision of the directors and language does not become a barrier or a boundary for me. India is a very diverse country with different cultures and languages. I feel lucky to be part of different kinds of culture and cinema.”The actress pointed out that Maniratnam, Sanjay Leela Bansali and Rituparna Ghosh have influenced her the most in her career. "These three have influenced me immensely and I don’t consider them as directors of different languages but as dream directors who have told amazing stories,” she emphasised.As for her visit to Qatar, Hydari said that she was in Doha to celebrate the five years of partnership between Zee5 Global and LuLu Hypermarket.She also had a word about a web series ‘Taj’ which has been a great success and her portrayal of the role of Anarkali which has become hugely popular.Hydari elaborated: "Yesteryears iconic actress, Madubala had done the role of Anarkali in Mughal-e-Azam and I happened to essay that role in this series. I had a busy schedule but the producers were keen on having me for that particular role. It was a great fortune for me and I believe that I am blessed to land such a role. As I started portraying the role, I felt that this must have something with my destiny and the rest is history.”The actress also voiced her opinion about OTT platforms and theatres saying that both have their own place in the modern era. "Theatre is a magical world of its own and it is here to stay. But I think OTT platforms have a kind of intimacy and ease to watch movies at the will of the people and they can visit and revisit any scene. Both have their own magic and charm. I think it is lovely and great that they co-exist. Because of both platforms, we have so much content and content of high quality. Both have their own place and both are thriving.”As for her upcoming projects, Hydari said that she has just finished a silent film called ‘Gandhi Talks’ with Tamil actors, Vijay Sethupathi and Arvind Swami, with the music by A R Rahman. "Currently I am shooting for Heera Mandi with Sanjay Leela Bansali and another Tamil-Telugu bilingual movie and the announcement will be made soon. I will also soon start shooting for an Indio-British production called, ‘Lioness,’” concluded Hydari.