One wouldn’t know she is royalty if you notice the way she transforms herself to get into the skin of every character she plays. Be it the small yet significant role of the ‘unmarried woman’ in Delhi 6, or the girl trying to come to terms with her gender identity in Ajeeb Daastaans, and now playing a tawaif (courtesan) in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi. From bite-sized supporting roles to playing leading lady in many films, capturing hearts with her charm and her ‘always in search’ eyes that convey myriad stories all at once, Aditi Rao Hydari has come a long way.

She is royalty. In fact, Aditi has two royal lineages. She is the great-granddaughter of Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, who was the former Prime Minister of Hyderabad province. She is also the granddaughter of Raja J Rameshwar Rao, who headed the Wanaparthy royal family. It wouldn’t be wrong, thus, to call her a ‘princess’, but Aditi believes she was “born to act”, and insists that her love for acting stems from “the intimacy” she “shares with the camera”. “I’m (completely) a director’s actor,” she tells us when we caught up with her for a long relaxed conversation at the Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion NXT Festival held in Pune recently where she was the showstopper for designer Varun Bahl. We sat down with the pretty actress who is awaiting the release of Heeramandi, and shooting for Indo-British film, Lioness, to discuss everything from her first film to choosing roles out of her comfort zone; why she thinks the term ‘women-centric’ should be done away with; lessons she has learned on the way; how ‘real acting’ transcends the barrier of language; why kindness always helps; and finding mental balance in a demanding industry.

The actress, of course, has been in news lately more because of her engagement to actor Siddharth. While it’s understandable that everybody is waiting to hear from the couple all about their relationship, we respect her request for privacy. Congratulations to the couple, of course.

An exclusive teaser by Kalki Koechlin for Indulge

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