Aditi Rao Hydari said that over a period of time, she has realised the value of not letting vanity come in the way of the artistic form. She also added that she is constantly striving to do work that is magical and bigger than anything she can ever dream as an individual.
With back-to-back OTT releases, Jubilee and the second season of Taj: Divided By Blood, Aditi Rao Hydari has been winning hearts and how. In a career spanning more than a decade, the actress has carved her own niche in the film industry with her impressive performances. There is a certain sense of vulnerability that she brings on screen. Besides her acting chops, Aditi is also known for good looks and elegant fashion sense.
Recently, in an interview with Film Companion, the Padmaavat actress was asked if she feels beauty can be a burden. In response, Aditi said that she grew up in an atmosphere where beauty was never a burden, adding that her family never made her self-conscious.
The actress shared, “I also grew up with a very beautiful mother and grandmother. So it was never a thing. Then, I seriously danced for many years. I have been dancing since I was five years old and I had a wonderful teacher Leela Samson who also comes from a school where you know there is this thing of there is an artistic form which is way bigger than you. It is way more beautiful that you and there’s no vanity in it. You are always striving to make the art form beautiful. So, you know you take yourself out of it. I know it’s very philosophical and it’s possibly tough for a kid. But when you are constantly seeing that around it even when you are growing up, you are not self-conscious about it. So, for a long time, I didn’t even realize it, when I wasn’t made aware of it, but obviously you get to know.”
Recalling an incident from her early days, Aditi continued, “I remember when I was a teenager, we were doing a big concert where I was the youngest one of the lot that used to perform. Leela akka came to me backstage and said, “Addu, if anybody comes backstage and says, “Oh you look so cute, such a pretty girl, I will be very upset with you.” That time I was like, that isn’t fair, it was so mean. But later I realized the value of it, to not allow anything to come in the way of your artistic form from the industry. Obviously, there is a reason why I was tempted to be a heroine and you know, like whatever.
The actress admitted that while she loves all the trappings of being a heroine, she makes it sure that what she does is magical and way bigger than anything she can ever dream to be as an individual.
“It doesn’t affect me but I do see that possibly it affects people who are around me or people who make decisions of how to cast me , where to cast me etc. But I try not to let it come in my way,” Aditi told the portal.
The actress said, “In fact, I think my life has changed because of Mani Sir (Mani Ratnam). I did Kaatru Veliyidai and then I realized that it doesn’t have to come in your way. You can be on a screen with a red nose, no makeup on your face and how the director sees you is how people see you. Okay, you are lucky if people see you as beautiful and there are people who also value you for what you bring to the table. If there are people who don’t and only see this, then you have the power within you to say no, I want more. I know, it’s very tough. I am not being a victim here. I realise now that it is something that I need to be aware of but I try not to let it be a burden on my head. If it is on other people’s head, I can’t change it.”
Emphasizing on the need to be authentic to herself, Aditi added, “If tomorrow I say that I will shed all vanity and do something, the fact is that it shouldn’t look inauthentic or that I am trying to hard. It should be for the right reason and not because I want to prove a point to somebody because it’s also about the expansiveness of the people who are looking at me for certain things. They are also artists so I must trust them and also say that it’s also about how they see the world, how they see the beauty and how they see artists. I can’t take the onus of that so I will keep trying. I will keep pushing boundaries, but I must be authentic to me and who I am and push boundaries like that and do it in my way.”
On the work front, Aditi Rao Hydari will next be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming ambitious Netflix series, Heeramandi.
