Her innocent childlike face and expressive eyes are a reflection of her poise, elegance, grace and resilience. Known for her work across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema, our cover girl Aditi Rao Hydari has played various diverse roles. Some of her hit films include Yeh Saali Zindagi, Rockstar, Padmaavat, Ajeeb Daastaans, Jubilee, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam besides many others. Her talent also won her a SIIMA Award for her role in Mani Ratnam’s Kaatru Veliyidai. She was born into the illustrious Tyabji–Hydari royal family.
Aditi and actor Siddharth got engaged and exchanged rings on the morning of March 27, 2024 in a hush hush ceremony at Sri Ranganayakaswamy Temple at Srirangapuram in Telangana. The duo hit it off while filming for the 2021 Telugu film Maha Samudram and soon their dating life came to limelight in 2023, when they posted a fun video dancing on Tum Tum that went viral.
Aditi’s absence was conspicuous from the announcement event of her upcoming Netflix series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar”. She skipped the event and her absence was acknowledged by the host for the evening who said she was getting engaged on the same day, hence was missing from the event. “Aditi is one of the important parts of ‘Heeramandi’ and she is not here because of a special reason,” announced the MC at the event. The news of Aditi and Siddharth getting engaged was confirmed after Aditi took to social media saying – “He said YES! Engaged” and Siddharth also posted the same picture and captioned it “She said YES! Engaged”. The long-time couple who have been dating secretly for a while are now officially engaged. A huge congratulations to the lovely couple from Team Provoke.
Here are a few glimpses from our exclusive interview with the gorgeous star…
- What was your dream career in your childhood days?
My dream career in those days went from A to C and back to B. I wanted to be a doctor, but somehow I knew I wanted to do something artistic and creative. When I saw Mani Ratnam Sir’s first film I wanted to be an actor. I was around 10 or 11 that time. - Were there any kind of apprehensions entering the field of cinema? How did you get your first role?
I didn’t have any apprehensions. If you don’t know much, then you’re not afraid. I was like that. It was a new world to me and it was all very exciting. I wasn’t exposed to cinema, so every single moment of it all was fun. I had entered without any preset notions or doing any research on what I’m getting into. Fear for me came after a couple of years because by then I was aware of certain things. One encounters many things, but that also went away because I’m not that kind of a person. I like to enjoy myself and the only fear I like is the fear of challenge. I come to a set on the first day and I don’t know anything, everything is unknown. I take it as a challenge and face it and I want to do my best, as it is a positive fear. I like that kind of an unknown fear and that kind of a challenge where I can prove myself. - How has your experience been working in the South Indian film industry? Any incidents you’d like to recall from any of the industries you have worked in – Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam film industry?
My first film that I acted in was before I became a professional actor. It was with a director who was making a film to send out to a film festival about devdasis and a classical dancer. It was called Sringaram, where I portrayed the lead role of a devadasi, a temple dancer of the 19th century. That Tamil film was directed by Sharada Ramanathan and produced by Padmini Ravi, a Bharatanatyam dancer. It came to me through Leela Samson, who was my dance teacher and she asked if I wanted to act. I replied I wasn’t sure if I will be allowed to. But I feel there’s always destiny that will work in your favour and you do things that you’re meant to do. They waited and the script changed and it became a double role and I played Madhura and Varshini. The director called my mother and there I was. My family is quite different and they’re more artistically and academically inclined. Since the film was about dance, my mother agreed that I do it. Once you do something that is your destiny it becomes addictive. It took me a few years to move to Mumbai and do it all professionally. Even my first shoot, I did it all in one scene and I remember people around said – she is not nervous and she’s doing it all so well. I thought to myself why should I be nervous, I’m loving it. And then even the choreographer told me, you must move to Mumbai and become a heroine. - You have acted in films in almost all the languages. Is there any one language in particular that you enjoyed the most?
I became an actor, as I wanted to do good cinema. I’ve never had that distinction that this is a Bengali film or a Tamil, Telugu or a Hindi film. Films to me are all stories and stories are supposed to make you feel something. Feelings are universal, whether its French or Spanish, I’ve never thought about films having different languages. It’s about the story teller, the director and it’s the story that makes the film. It either connects with the audience or does not. It’s not about different industries; I feel we are all one. We are lucky that we are so diverse in our story telling and in our culture and that’s our biggest strength. I want to be a part of this diverse cinema, as I really enjoy that. The directors and crew also are all so nice. I feel at home in all the various film industries I work in. - What have been some of the biggest highpoints of your journey so far?
My highpoints keep changing everytime I have my sight set on the next journey. But one big one that I will never forget was working with Mani Ratnam sir. It was a little girl’s dream come true. It made me believe in all positive things. It really changed the way I worked and it moulded me to be who I am. That style was very important for me and everytime I wanted to work with someone big, luckily, it happened. When it comes to my work, I’m like a greedy little child who wants more candy. I want to be put into situations where my directors challenge me and bring out the best in me. Working with people like that is a highpoint. When people who I respect choose me, it’s a highpoint for me. I like to learn and do the right things. - Tell us about your upcoming project Heeramandi?
The work has just begun, so it’s a bit too early to talk about it. - What are your other passions and hobbies?
I like all things that are creative – dancing, singing and art. I didn’t learn music professionally, but I love music. When I was five years old I was learning dancing. I love yoga too. I love interiors and design and even talk about architecture on my Instagram. I also love fashion… basically all things artistic. - What keeps you motivated every day?
My dreams. - Tell us about your other side as a singer too? Did you take professional music lessons and how has your musical journey been?
I’m not a trained singer, but I got my musical genes from my maternal side. They all sing really well. My mother is a trained classical musician, so maybe I got it from her as I didn’t learn music. Everytime I come to a studio it’s amazing. I met Rahman Sir and joined him on stage with his Tamil songs “Urvasi Urvasi” and “Huma Huma’ at the International Indian Film Academy Festival’s IIFA Rocks at MetLife Stadium in New York. All these experiences have been a lot of fun. I’m very critical of myself, but Rahman gave me compliments and recently Sean said that Aditi didn’t have to retake at all. I told my mother – Amma I recorded in one go. I love beautiful music and if someone has a lovely song and they want me to sing it, I would do it. I love to sing. - Tell us about your most recent Coke Studio Tamil Season 2 song ‘Please Purinjukko’.
I always wanted to sing for Coke Studio and it was a dream. Coke Studio approached me and I didn’t plan it. It just came to me. It is a unique love song and when I was told I will be collaborating with composer, musician, and lyricist Sean Roldan, I was really excited and also a little nervous, but once we started recording I was very chill and relaxed. And we did the recording very fast. Infact, I went to the studio and did a recording and it was all done on the first day itself. It was fun. Artists are very warm and loving and it was such a pleasure working with Sean and Coke Studio and I would love to do more. He’s a treasure trove of music. I like its fresh tunes and groove and the musical narrative beautifully captures a story of how lovers can truly connect, embodying the experiences of companionship in its authentic form. It’s an emotionally charged song that mirrors the multifaceted nature of relationships in today’s fast-paced world, symbolising the authentic experiences of love amid other priorities that shape the narrative of modern love stories. Sean Roldan, celebrates his contributions to the Tamil film industry and expertise in Carnatic music, independent music, and film scores, bringing his unique musical insight to create a track that is both emotive and relatable. It has an elevated playfulness, emotional depth, and authenticity. It almost creates a dialogue that explores two parts of a relationship. It connects with the audience, who can hear it in any mood, no matter where they are. At the same time, it has the pain, the chill that love gives you, the chill of separation, of love, of romance, of being with another person. It is a very interesting song for the digital era that we live in, and it truly reflects that sentiment. This is my first collaboration with Coke Studio, and to have started with Coke Studio Tamil makes it even more special for me. The Tamil audience has always been very loving. It was fun working with Sean Roldan – his knowledge of music is immense, and I enjoyed how effortlessly we recorded this track. The lyrics by Vignesh Sivan are breezy and relatable. It was an amazing experience. - Tell us about your experience working with Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh? Also, some interesting anecdotes from behind the scenes with Mammootty, Arvind Swamy, Vijay Sethupathi, Abhishek Bachchan, Randeep Hooda, Dulquer Salmaan, Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Also please share your experience with Mani Ratnam, AR Rahman?
There have been so many. Every set with each of them has been full of so many stories. It’s difficult to remember now, but it’s been amazing acting with all of them. They are all such wonderful actors and great human beings. - What kind of a person are you in your personal space? How do you like to spend your me-time?
I like hanging out with my friends. I don’t get much time to do that but when I have my downtime, I love to hang out with friends and family. I love listening to music. I also love watching movies and web series on OTT. - What are your preferred holiday destinations?
For a comfort zone, I would go to London, otherwise anywhere in Europe. - How do you maintain a work-life balance?
I love going to work and love being on the sets. On days where it gets too much with long hours I tell myself that I’m lucky to be here and that I look forward to this work. People ask me if I get tired of people asking me for selfies and I tell them no, if it makes their day then why not. I’ve always been wired like that. I have not had a great balance because I have been a hamster in a wheel, running around from Chennai to Hyderabad to Mumbai to Kerala to everywhere. It is important to prioritise your people, take out time for yourself and also to be like a curious child on a set, which to me is like a playground. The combination of everything is really important and I am trying to learn that now as we go along. Whatever problem there is, I sort it out and I’m truly grateful for my work. I enjoy it and I hope that I always keep enjoying. - Any memorable fan message you’d like to share?
Fans are the sweetest people. I can’t even count the number of incredible messages I get every day. They really are the sweetest. They are the best. - What are the projects you’re working on currently? Also please tell us about the English film Lioness you’re acting in. And also Gandhi Talks.
I’m going to start shooting for Lioness soon. Lioness is an Indo-UK co-production under the 2008 bilateral treaty. I’m very excited about working with Paige Sandhu. It’s about two girls. One of the stories is based on the life of Sophia Duleep Singh, the Princess of Punjab and one of the key leaders of the suffragette movement in the United Kingdom, and will be portrayed by Paige Sandhu. The other focuses on married immigrant Mehak, who lives in Southall in the 1990s, portrayed by me.
Besides, there’s Gandhi Talks, a silent film led by Vijay Sethupathi that I have acted in. The film also has Aravind Swami and Siddharth Jadhav, and is directed by Kishor P Belekar and features musical score by AR Rahman. There’s also a Tamil-Telugu bilingual that I’m working on. - What is your view about films in the OTT world of today?
It’s brilliant and it’s great because there’s so much content out there. If your grandmother tells you a story you’ll listen to it. OTT has done that. We now consume content from the world over – Spanish, German, Korean and even in India – south of India and all over. We have various languages and we should all be out there. - What are your views on social media and how much time do you spend on it?
Yes, I do handle my social media myself. I put every single gram post personally, on my own. I like to do that and also I try to engage with as many people as I can. Sometimes, it can consume you completely, so I try to be careful. I have seen what it has done to us and I want to always remind myself that I’m an actor and not an influencer. I want people to see me onscreen and to believe in the characters that I play and that’s why I curate my social media accordingly. Social media is sharing with your fans your truest, most authentic self and giving them a piece of you. I believe in the power of social media, as it’s a great way of connecting with people online. - Which of the south Indian languages do you speak fluently?
According to my grandmother I don’t even speak English fluently. I love Tamil and Telugu, but I’m not very familiar with it. I understand both but I’m not very fluent, but on the sets I learn every single line and do my lip sync correctly as I don’t like half-baked jobs. I love languages and understand all the south Indian languages. I know how the words sound in both Tamil and Telugu, so it helps when I speak those dialogues. I’m a parrot so if I know the lines I can say them back to you just the way they have to be said. I feel Tamil and Telugu are both beautiful languages. I understand them but a fluent conversation is slightly tough. I may go to Hyderabad and mix Tamil into all the Telugu that I know and I may go to Chennai and mix my Telugu with Tamil. - How would you like to describe your fashion statement?
I wear what I like and my style is usually effortlessly classic or classically effortless. - How would you like to describe your dream man?
My dream man should make me laugh and I should respect that person. The person should have the playfulness and the most important is to respect each other. Love comes from respect.
#Rapidfire
- Your dream role?
Mani Ratnam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali heroine. - Dream director?
Mani Ratnam. - Favourite actor and actress?
Jennifer Lawrence, Audrey Hepburn, Ryan Gosling. - Your pet peeve?
Inauthenticity and inefficiency. - Some essentials that are always in your bag?
Phone, wallet, car and house key. - Yoga or gym?
Yoga and dancing. - Indian food or global cuisine?
Food from everywhere. I love Indian food as well as trying out all kinds of global cuisine. - Closest friends from the industry or outside?
Human beings I love, doesn’t matter where they’re from. A lot of my friends are childhood friends from before I became an actor. I have both from the industry and outside. When they’re in my home, they’re people I love. - Beaches or hills?
Beaches that have hills around them. - Veg or non-veg?
Food is food, if it’s good I’ll eat it. - Fame or money?
Happiness and also quality work…fame and money will follow. - Indian wear or Western wear?
I tend to gravitate towards Indian clothes and even if I don’t my fans like to see me in Indian clothes. Earlier I used to be in jeans and shorts, but I have started liking Indian clothes now. - Straight hair or curls?
I like wavy hair. - Some good film/web series you liked?
Killers of the Flower Moon, Anatomy of a Fall and Crash Landing On You. - First thing you notice about a person?
Their eyes, their smile and their aura and energy. Also, strangely their hands. - One thing that makes you feel beautiful?
To be happy. When I’m positive and happy I feel beautiful. I genuinely feel beautiful when I am surrounded by positivity and happiness. - Politics, religion, business, sports or entertainment?
Entertainment. - How would you define love in today’s times?
When two people can laugh together and have a good time.