‘Women-centric’ tag should be done away with, says Aditi Rao Hydari, as she discusses lessons she has learned on her way to stardom

I’ve always wanted to be an actor, but I didn’t really grow up watching mainstream films. As a child, I used to dance, and then I was offered Sringaram, which was about dance, directed by a woman. It wasn’t a commercial film; instead, it went to festivals. At the time I was offered this film, my mom was very particular about finishing my education, and since this was an artsy film about dance, I was allowed to do it.

The first time I faced the camera, they got the shot in one take! Everybody was waiting to see if this girl could do it or not. I didn’t know they were nervous, but I was generally not nervous because I love the intimacy with the camera. For me, it didn’t matter that the film was in Tamil, although I don’t know the language. Today, I understand why I felt like that — because I grew up in a culturally mixed family, I am always very excited about different cultures, I feel very connected to them.

Also, I guess because I’ve done films in so many languages, people keep asking me, ‘What’s the difference?’ (doing films in two different languages). I tell them that it’s about the director and the story, regardless of the language you speak in. How does it matter? What’s important is I should be able to connect with you. You have to feel what I’m feeling; it’s not about the language; it’s about what I make you feel, be it in any language. I am South Indian, but I didn’t grow up speaking the languages very well. I am someone who will go to Spain and do a film there if an amazing director calls me. On that note, I’ve been dying to do a Bengali film!

Coming back to Tamil, from where I started my career, I always aspired to work in a Mani Ratnam film; I wanted to be a heroine in his film, and somewhere in my head, I knew that if I had to do a film with Mani Ratnam, I’d have to learn Tamil.

(PS: Aditi has done two films with Mani Ratnam — Kaatru Veliyidai and Chekka Chivantha Vaanam).

Yes, of course! I’m already shooting a Tamil-Telugu bilingual film. There are a lot of directors that I love from the Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam industries. Kannada cinema too is amazing. I just watched Hemanth Rao’s film which is so good. There are so many directors I want to work with. Whatever language one makes a film in, I just want to work with you!

You know, there was a time when I wasn’t finding anything that really excited me, but now I’ve come across some projects that I feel good about. However, just having the intention and liking something doesn’t guarantee what will happen next; that’s not in my hands. That said, apart from South Indian films, I’m doing an Indo-British film called Lioness, which is the first Indo-British production. I’m looking forward to it because it is a story of two women, two centuries apart, in an interesting setting. Then there’s Heeramandi, which is out soon. Additionally, I’ve heard a couple of scripts that I’m really excited about.

When I am part of a story like in Ajeeb Daastaans, which is not a world that I know, I look at it from the perspective of a creative person, who wants to be versatile. I want to prove that I can do ‘this’ and ‘that’. Of course, it’s very important to own whatever your core is. But as a creative person, you want to keep exploring, right? I think it’s important to do it with the right person who selects you for a particular role knowing why they have picked you, what you can do with it and how they can mould you, because like I said, I am a director’s actor.

I think with Ajeeb Daastaans, it was the fact that I was dying to work with Neeraj Ghaywan that I didn’t even ask him why, what, which, how… (about my role). I enjoyed the experience so much, and, of course, it (subject) was not something I knew. My character was a privileged upper caste girl with cocooned upbringing, who is unable to express her sexuality. I actually had butterflies in my stomach! There’s something about working with a director, who is honest. Neeraj is so committed to everything he does. It was really incredible working with him. I would love to explore different kinds of cinema, but with directors who know why they are doing it and who can really push you into doing it.

As an industry, I think it has evolved because there are so many different kinds of stories that are being told today. I want to do away with the term ‘women centric’; we don’t say hero centric! So why do we say ‘women centric’? But I understand that it’s a process, and women have to push for that space. I hope that it can just be about stories that we can talk about and I hope that there can be equal representation. Careers and professions don’t need to be defined by gender.

I have learned that it is all about what you bring to the table as a creative person. When that comes with great intention, purpose and authenticity, you can create magic! Everybody talks about how difficult it is to survive in the film industry. But my mom always told me that the power is with you. You are the choices that you make; that is your power, use it with sensitivity and with responsibility, to always be the best version of yourself, regardless of what anybody around you is doing or saying. I feel, in order to bring in that energy to every relationship around you is very important because you don’t know what somebody else is going through. In our industry, it is very easy to put somebody down or talk badly about somebody. But I feel that’s not necessary. All one needs to do is make a space positive and let the rest be, because that’s the only control you have, you know, and that is a very powerful tool. This is what I’ve learned, and I really follow it because I am a sensitive little five-year-old, but this (being kind)has really helped me. I’m very transparent; I say what I need to say but I say it with as much kindness as possible.

I think the key lies in having the right people around me and what I have grown up with — music, dance, yoga. I find them very rooting. Be grateful and always look at the positive; I do try to do that. You always have two options. Either you go into a rabbit hole, into darkness (I know some people can’t help it and I’m not judging), which generally is easy to do, but I’m not going to do that. I choose the light and, on a given day when I’m feeling horrible, I cry. It’s very good to vent. People might perceive it as a weakness, but I don’t, because for me, I believe it’s my greatest strength to be able to look somebody in the eye and tell them what I feel because then, it’s off my shoulder, it’s gone out of me and then I’m fine. As long as I’m not hurting anybody, I have a positive atmosphere around me, I’m fine. Another important thing is you should listen to people, but you should know who to listen to.

It mostly involves running away from the gym, so whatever that run is, is my fitness regimen! (laughs) But what I actually enjoy, which I don’t get to do much, is yoga. I love to dance too. 

I’m not a trained musician, although I’ve grown up around music, and my mom sings. I love singing; I sing all the time! I take great pride in the fact that composers don’t need to use auto tune on my voice. I’m becoming more and more confident, especially in the studio, which I find very intimate. I started with the best — I began with a live show with AR Rahman without any backup! I dreamt of it, and I did it. From there, I gained the confidence to sing in the studio. In Tamil, I’ve sung quite a bit. It’s important that the right person chooses you for the right thing, and I’m happy to do it.