SOME DAYS ADITI FEELS LIKE SHE MIGHT PASS OUT

The actor says she is ‘finding her way’ slowly and steadily, ‘fumbling sometimes’ but that’s okay

Actor Aditi Rao Hydari knows she has no one “making films” for her or “planning” her career, but she has a huge sense of belief in herself, which makes her take fearless decisions.

“I live in the moment and I’m always looking forward. I have been working since 20102011 finding my way slowly and steadily step by step, fumbling sometimes but managing to find the light,” says Aditi.

What kept her going? “My unwavering belief... I’m able to turn a negative into a positive... It is because of a strong family. It’s true I didn’t have a filmi insider to hold me when I fall, but that’s the way it is. It’s the same in any industry.”

Born in Hyderabad and brought up in Delhi, Aditi made her film debut with Delhi-6 (2009) and went on to work in Hindi and Tamil film industry. There are days when she feels like she “might pass out” but also enjoys “the hecticness.”

Aditi says she is always asked why her potential has not been tapped in the film industry. “That’s a question you need to ask ‘them’ not me. I do my best whether it is a role of a 20-min part and ensemble or a lead,” says the actor, who got the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award for her powerful performance in Bhoomi (2017) and Padmaavat.

Aditi, who has also worked in the south Indian industry in Prajapathi (2006), Sringaram (2007) and Kaatru Veliyidai (2017), calls herself a director’s actor. “I get immersed in the world that has been created for me. I crave experiences where I am pushed to explore a feeling or situation I never imagined or understood.

Aditi further adds that she doesn’t really know a set method. “I’d rather be on a set in front of the camera with a director I am dying to work with, I let them mould me,” she says, adding, “I work instinctively... I feel vulnerable, I feel afraid, I can get impatient and crabby before I step into set for the first time. But once the camera is switched on — the time between action and cut is like wonderland... It is magic.”

There are conversations around gender equality around the world, and Aditi has also been vocal about it. She feels that there is “huge gender imbalance” in India. “We need change, and it can only happen if we prioritise wholesome education. When you educate a girl, when you give equal opportunities to a girl... you educate her family, her community and the whole nation prospers. But at the same time we need to empower our men too with sensitivity so they make this essential gender equality a part of their lives,” she concludes.

My unwavering belief has kept me going... It’s true I didn’t have a filmi insider to hold me when I fall, but that’s the way it is. It’s the same in any industry. ADITI RAO HYDARI ACTOR

PHOTO: SARANG GUPTA/HT