Exclusive Interview with Aditi Rao Hydari
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE BEAUTIFUL ADITI RAO HAYDARI
Exclusive interview with the lady from BOSS, Aditi Rao Hydari about her upcoming Bollywood movie BOSS which releases worldwide on 16th October. She has been critically praised for her previous films. And is on the roll with her first glamorous role on silver screen. One thing we can tell for sure, that this gorgeous actress speaks her mind. Her journey from girl next door to this innocent yet sexy diva and much more with Khushi Qazi from Punjab2000.com.
Q – You are a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and an actor. What do you enjoy more acting or dancing?
A – A very difficult question! (laughs) I would say that dance is what I’ve done since I was five and it really makes me. Music and dance are a part of my soul. But acting is how it all finds expression. That is how I express myself as a performer. And I really love being in front of the camera. Cinema is absolute magic for me. I am so grateful to be a part of the industry and to be able to work here. So yeah, it’s very difficult to choose between dancing and acting.
Q – How did your family react when you said that you wanted to act in films considering you come from a royal lineage?
A – I never actually said it to them. I always dreamt of being in the movies. I wanted to be a Heroine. Even in school people used to tease me by saying that you are going to be a heroine. I always silently kept that dream in my heart. I remember Shahrukh Khan said in Om Shanti Om that when you want something so much, with all your heart and you dream about it and work hard, somehow it always comes true. That is how it was with me and the movies. And my family is very liberal and very educated. They are very open-minded. Of course they worry about me because it is a very difficult world. It is a lot of hard work. Because there are days that I have to work for 48 hours but they see that I love it so much and how energised I am about my work. In my family, it is more about making your own journey and excelling in it. As long as I am enjoying it and doing well in it, I don’t think anybody from my family would stop me. I’ve been given a lot of freedom to choose what I have to do and also I feel blessed that my family is there watching my back. That is a very blessed feeling.
Q – You’ve done six Bollywood movies including BOSS. How has the journey up till now been?
A – It’s been like baby steps. Each step has been an uphill struggle but it’s also been so fulfilling. I always feel so grateful because I don’t really have any connections in Bollywood. I don’t have a hand on my head to guide me and tell me whether what I am doing is right or wrong and how this industry works. But I’ve taken little little baby steps one at a time and I can say that each step has been a step forward. Slow yet steady towards credible and memorable work and I hope that it just keeps getting better because that is how I see my work going. I just want to keep better and better and better. With every compliment I get, it pushes me to work harder. I want lots of love from the audience. I want people to keep me in their hearts because that is what being in this industry is all about. I want to do something very memorable and credible.
Q – You’ve done some great movies in the past like Murder 3 and Yeh Saali Zindagi. You’ve been applauded by both the audience as well as the critics. How does it feel, achieving something so early in your career?
A – Again, I would say that I don’t know how it happened. I just quietly put my notes to the ground and I worked and I had fun. If the reviews turned up good, it made me happy. I feel happy when my work is appreciated. I just love the people who reviewed me. (Laughs) I want to get better and better each day. And you can only get better if you get a good medium. That is why I want to work with directors who can give me that kind of role and give me the kind of films where they will extract more out of me. The only thing I have control over is that I can work harder and have fun and immerse myself in it a hundred percent but what I get, how I get, when I get it, I have no control over that. So I am taking each day as it comes and I am very grateful to the audience, reviews and critics who have liked my work and I hope that I get that kind of films to continue my work and make that better . Every little compliment that I get pushes me harder to work more and more.
Q – What made you choose the role in BOSS?
A – Boss is a very different film. It’s a very Masala movie. It’s very different from the movies I’ve done earlier. I did it because I wanted to reach out to a large demographic in the country. I want whistles and claps and that sort of crazy love that audience sometime gives you. I did it for fun. I did it because I’ve never done a Masala movie before. I want to be able to balance out two kind of cinema, one where there is content and you need to immerse yourself in the character and second, where you’re having fun, where you’re working for the crowd and having fun doing it. If I have the talent then I think I can balance these two out.
Q – How did you land up with the role in BOSS?
A – I got BOSS around the time I got Murder 3 and I released that it’s a large scale Masala movie and I actually thought that it’s an opportunity to reach out to more people. BOSS is the type of film that people watch in small towns and people dance on the aisles and children love it and it’s a totally different kind of cinema. I thought being loved by audience is important too. For me, credible, memorable and loved, these three things go hand in hand. You do different kind of cinema for different reasons and BOSS is the kind of film that makes you feel loved.
I think, the BOSS team heard about me. But I don’t think they were considering me for this film because they needed someone very glamorous for this role and it didn’t strike them. But then they saw a photo-shoot of me in a magazine which was very glamorous and they immediately called me and told me that they didn’t visualise me being so glamorous and asked me if I would be interested in doing the film because they needed somebody who could look innocent and yet be glamorous at the same time. So I thought that it’s a good opportunity to be a part of this kind of film and I said yes.
Exclusive Interview with Aditi Rao Hydari
Q – How would you define the character which you’re playing in BOSS?
A – I play a girl named Ankita. She is a fun loving college girl. As it is a very male dominated film, Ankita brings freshness and romance in it. It’s a film that has a little bit of everything. She is the romantic angle of the film with Shiv Pandit. Because of their love story, certain twists and turns happen in the plot of the film. So Ankita is the freshness, romance and glamour of the film.
Q – We can see your chemistry with Shiv Pandit in the songs and promos of the film and everybody is liking it. How is he as a co-star?
A – Shiv is actually great fun. You know, the cool thing about working with people of your generation who are like two films ahead or two films behind you is that you have similar aspirations, similar attitude towards our work, similar struggles and so you bond immediately. I think Shiv is great fun because He’s got that self effacing humour and he actually had me in splits all the time.(Laughs) He is a chilled out so I became comfortable with him practically the day I met him. And to shoot a song like Har Kisi Ko is kind of very intimate but at the same time there is innocence of first love and discovering each other, it is very important to feel comfortable with the person. I’ve seen him in Shaitaan and I will always wish him well and I’m sure we will work together at some point again.
Q – And you’ve also worked the king of action, with Mr. Akshay Kumar in this film too, right?
A – Oh Yeah! He is the king of action and comedy too. He is so good at that. And that is what he is doing in BOSS too.
Q – How is he on sets?
A – I think what’s really cool about Akshay Kumar is that he is very discipline and very hard working. He is very discipline behind the scene but in front of the camera, he is so much fun. Even I believe that as a performer that behind the camera your work should be disciplined and strong. But in front of the camera you should just let the emotions flow and open your heart. He has such a positive energy on the set. It’s wonderful to watch somebody senior who has created such a successful face in the industry for himself work like that.
Q – I’ve heard that He is a total prankster on sets. Did he play any prank on you?
A – Oh my god, totally. He is a prankster. I was the only girl on the set so either I was treated like a princess or they were all pulling some kind of prank on me because I am very gullible.
Q – Which is your favourite song from the movie?
A – I really love Har Kisi Ko. It’s very beautifully done and filmed. It’s one of those epic love songs. I really enjoyed shooting that. But I also like the title track of BOSS. I think it’s a really cool song. I liked the way it’s been filmed as well.
Q – Is Mr. Anthony D’souza strict as a director?
A – I really like Anthony D’souza as a person and on set. He gets his work done very quietly without intimidating you. He knows what he wants and he sort of very gently guides you towards that. It’s very easy working with somebody like that. He calls you every day and gives you feedback and it’s really nice because then you know that he cares and you feel very encouraged by that. Because it a film where you’re working in a large crowd and there’s a bikini sequence as well, so it’s nice. At the end of the day he would call and say that you’re doing it the right way. He was very connected to his actors. He is very technically sound and brilliant. He and the director of photography make a very solid team. I was in very safe hands.
Q – Did you have any reservations while donning a Bikini in the film?
A – No. Not really. I’ve worn a Bikini since I was a kid. My grandmom used to take me to the pool and I used to wear a bikini. I am very comfortable wearing it. The only thing was that I asked five weeks because I wanted to maintain my natural body shape. I didn’t want any abs or muscles but I just wanted to tone myself a little bit better. Because the camera is sensitive and it picks up things that it shouldn’t. (Laughs) So I trained for five weeks with my trainer Rahul Kalra. I didn’t do any hectic weights or anything like that. I think the response had been very positive. I am very happy because everybody has told me that it looks very natural and very feminine and at the same time very sexy. And that is what I wanted and I m happy that it has worked out so well because a bikini sequence can go really wrong too. The director and the director of photography have filmed it well. I knew it was the right team to do such a sequence because I was in such safe hands.
Q – In India, lately we’ve been hearing a lot about rape cases and the politicians have been saying that Bollywood movies show too much of skin and body and that is what is influencing the people and is the reason for the rapes. So what are your views on that?
A – My views are that because people think like that and it’s the reason why our country is in dismay. There is nothing wrong with body and everybody should be comfortable with their own. Body is natural. What is not natural is people’s minds and their relationship with the women in their life and how they treat them and their attitude towards them. That is what really needs to change. Gender sensitization is very important. Every parent, every teacher, every child, every politician needs to be gender sensitized. People should be educated about it. Bikinis and films are not a reason for rape. There are many other deeper issues that will have to be dealt with. It is very easy to pin it on something foolish like this. Honestly, people should be able to tell a difference between film and reality. I know there’s a difference between looking attractive and looking vulgar. If it’s not vulgar then there’s nothing wrong in being desirable. But this desirability should go beyond that dirty obsession. Even as an actor, I feel what is wrong in being desirable. Desirable is beautiful. You can be desirable for you talent, your attitude, for who you are. It goes way beyond physical looks and what clothes you wear. And people really need to understand that. And people are pinning it down to movies is really ridiculous. It’s like blaming the girl. The person who is the criminal is the person who needs to be educated or needs to be sorted out. I mean looking at a girl who is wearing mini skirt like that. I mean it’s just legs. What is wrong with the people! It shows sick mentality. It’s obviously some kind of depraved mentality. So educating people about it is very necessary. Politicians should work more on educating these people rather than saying all that.
Q – The promotions of BOSS have started. How do you manage such hectic schedules?
A – In the last 72 hours, I’ve slept about 3 hours. (Laughs). I have to still get up in the morning and I am constantly telling my make-up artist to put less make-up. I still manage. Don’t ask me how I manage.
Q – But you still look so gorgeous.
A – I thank my genes for that. That’s all. (Laughs)
Q – Share some of your fitness secrets with the readers.
A – I’m don’t like working out in the gym. I usually do Yoga and I’ve been dancing since I was a kid. So I dance. And if I really need to exercise like I did for BOSS then I run and do exercise involving my own body like push ups and squats where you don’t need external weight. I don’t wear much make up. I like to go natural. So even with my body I like it’s natural and feminine form. And not be overly worked out and be muscular. That is why I do Yoga. I am more comfortable with that.
Q – What beauty tips would you give to all the girls who look up to you?
A – If you’re happy and you’re positive, if you have a mind of your own and you have spunk and you’re happy in what you are, then you automatically become attractive or beautiful. Beauty is not only about having the perfect face or perfect body, it’s so much more. I agree that having a good face and body is important to go out in the world and do what you want to do too because that boosts your confidence. So I think it’s a combination of that. For me, as I said natural is everything and to be happy with your natural face is the best. I think everybody should do that. Don’t hide behind heavy accessories and too much make up. You don’t need it. You are beautiful just the way you are. And for people, who don’t think you are, then it’s their problem not yours. Be natural.
Q – Any last message for all your fans out there?
A – I just want to say that I’m touched that I get so much love from all of you. I am sending virtual hugs to you guys. I promise to work hard and continue to give you good stuff and love you all so much. I am so grateful for your love because it’s your love that pushes me to work that much more and for me, it means a lot to have your love and to have you with me. Trust me, I am very grateful for it and thank you for being with me always and thank you for being a part of this magical journey in this industry. You are very much a part of it. I love you all very much.