WHAT LOVE MEANS TO ADITI RAO HYDARI

'For me, love is being happy.' 'It's being free and carefree.'

Aditi Rao Hydari recently uploaded a video of her dancing with Siddharth to Tum Tum, a song from the Tamil film Enemy.

In the midst of a storm of speculation that the rumoured couple is getting ready to tie the knot, this is all that the actress has to say on the subject: "I finished shooting early and wanted to dance. So I did. I love to dance."

Meanwhile, she is excited about her drama series Taj: Divided By Blood in which she plays Anarkali. Sixty-three years ago, in 1960, Madhubala had played the courtesan who falls in love with Prince Salim, in K Asif's Mughal-eAzam.

Naturally, there are comparisons and sky-high expectations, but Aditi tells "To me, Madhubalaji is the most iconic Anarkali and the fact that I have been offered this role is itself a blessing from her."

When Madhubala accepted K Asif's Mughal-e-Azam, she had wanted to be the most memorable Anarkali. Did you have similar thoughts when you accepted the drama series, Taj: Divided by Blood?

I can't answer this question, it would be sacrilege.

To me, Madhubalaji is the most iconic Anarkali and the fact that I have been offered this role is itself a blessing from her.

How old were you when you first saw Mughal-e-Azam?

I must have been a teenager when my mother (Vidya Rao), who loves films like Mughal-e-Azam, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Pakeezah, was watching it. I sat with her and saw bits of Mughale-Azam. I was not concentrating fully, but was still enamoured by the film's beauty and history.

I saw the film properly in the colourised version recently.

I think Anarkali, wherever she is, must have thanked Madhubala for playing her because she made her unforgettable.