Aditi credits her filmmakers for nurturing her

From her supporting role in Delhi 6 (2009) to playing filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s muse in Kaatru Veliyidai, actor Aditi Rao Hydari (right) has come a long way.

The actor says she is proud that she has come this far without any backing. “I came from nowhere and it has been baby steps. I don’t have that kind of backing but I never crib about it. I always feel blessed because so many people have taken me under their wings, nurtured me and made me a part of their vision,” Aditi says.

She says it is hard to sustain in films but self-belief is her driving force. “The wishes that I made, the dreams that I have dreamt; I did realise them. It is definitely a struggle. Getting work is not tough but to work with people I always wanted to is difficult,” she says.

Her next Bollywood project — a father-daughter story — is directed by Omung Kumar, where the actor plays the titular role. “It is my first title role. The film is about men being together with women and empowering them. The experience has been soulwrenching. The character has made me push my limits. I actually get attracted to such stuff,” says the 30-year-old actor, who will also feature in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next.

Aditi says she is living her dream as she always wanted to work with filmmakers such as Ratnam and Bhansali. “I want somebody to push me and grill me and extract a performance out me, which nobody expects. After Mani sir, it was Omung sir and now it is Sanjay sir,” she says. “These filmmakers nurture you and they are like a drug, you keep wanting to go back to them,” she adds.