Meet The New Mani Ratnam Muse: Aditi Rao Hydari

The camera loved dancer Aditi Rao Hydari from her first frame but it took her a while to return the affection. After living her childhood dream of starring in Mani Ratnam’s new Tamil film Kaatru Veliyidai, she tells Sandipan Dalal she can’t imagine being anywhere else.

- Sandipan Dalal

Aditi Rao Hydari is the busiest she’s ever been. She is living her childhood dream of starring in a Mani Ratnam love story, Kaatru Veliyidai, opposite Tamil film star Karthi. She is also shooting an action film, Bhoomi, opposite Sanjay Dutt and has recently wrapped up work on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati opposite Ranveer Singh. She recalls her journey from a classical Bharatanatyam dancer to one of the most exciting fresh faces of the Hindi and Tamil film industry, and shares with us her secret to surviving a career in films. Edited excerpts from the interview:

What’s the best thing going on in your life right now?

It’s surreal to be on the same stage as Mani (Ratnam) sir and (AR) Rahman sir and watch myself (perform) the songs of my new Tamil film, Kaatru Veliyidai. I remember watching Manisha Koirala in (Mani Ratnam’s) Bombay and even though I had no understanding of films back then, that felt very special. This is a dream come true.

Can you recall the films and music that made you want to be a performer as a child?

I was five years old when I told my mother I wanted to join Bharatanatyam classes. But before that, my mother would sing a lot, and I’d sing the exact tune back to her even though I couldn’t say the lyrics. So, in my mother’s words, I came out of her womb dancing and singing (laughs). Growing up in Hyderabad, I was surrounded by classical music, art, textiles and handlooms. I watched a Hindi film for the first time in a neighbour’s house and I was completely mesmerised by the make-believe world of movies. I wanted to inhabit that world but I never said it out loud.