Eye of the beholder
Brunch|August 03, 2024
We know Aditi Rao Hydariis beautiful. She knows it too. But lately, all the chatter has shifted to her fabulous work on screen. It's about time. It feels great. After all, she's only been preparing for it her whole life
Karishma Kuenzang
Eye of the beholder

In 2024, Aditi Rao Hydari and stylist Santu Misra were at Cannes and were trying to get a table at a packed-out restaurant. "The concierge looked at me and said, 'You MUST have a table'," she recalls. "I'd rather believe that people are doing it because they are genuinely nice, and not because of how I look."

It's exactly the kind of thing you'd expect a pretty person to say. Rao Hydari has amber eyes, sharp, delicate features and perfect skin.

She's been the global face for beauty brand L'Oreal; modelled for Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani and Gaurav Gupta; and most recently, she was part of the advertising campaign for Indriya, the jewellery label launched by Aditya Birla Group.

But getting taken seriously in cinema has taken a while. Critics and audiences have loved her as Bibbojaan, the courtesan and freedom fighter, on the Netflix show Heeramandi, which premiered in May. Her sensual walk in one scene has a life of its own online. Plus, she was in two blockbuster series last year, playing another fiery courtesan Anarkali in Taj: Divided by Blood (Zee) and movie star Sumitra Kumari in Jubilee (Prime Video).

It seems that finally, 15 years after she made her Hindi film debut in Delhi 6 (2009), the stars are starting to align. She doesn't mind the wait.

"When you do things yourself, grow and learn by yourself, you feel a certain ownership of the journey," she says.

It also means that success hasn't come on the back of her looks. It's the kind of flex that would make both Rao Hydari and her mother, classical singer Vidya Rao, proud.

On beauty

She knew her mother was a beautiful woman.

"Friends would tell me that my mother looked like Audrey Hepburn," recalls Rao Hydari. She watched Roman Holiday at age 12. She agreed.

"Everyone used to call me Little Vidya when I was growing up," Rao Hydari says.

Bu hikaye Brunch dergisinin August 03, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Brunch dergisinin August 03, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

BRUNCH DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Is It Scrolling Or Screening?
Brunch

Is It Scrolling Or Screening?

Being on the phone while the TV plays is the new normal. Just don't do it when there's company. A case for what it means to be present

time-read
2 dak  |
November 16, 2024
This week, we're...
Brunch

This week, we're...

Preferring the spinoff.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 16, 2024
The newest tricks in the book
Brunch

The newest tricks in the book

Time is money. Here are the best hacks for saving precious seconds and taking even your everyday feed to the next level

time-read
2 dak  |
November 16, 2024
Snuffing out the flames
Brunch

Snuffing out the flames

Has online dating peaked? People are ditching the apps, going old-school, and aiming for IRL connections. Here's how the swipe failed a whole generation

time-read
3 dak  |
November 16, 2024
Off the eaten path
Brunch

Off the eaten path

In hotels, cafes and home kitchens cooks are getting creative with food waste. Tomato skins show up in a cake, fat flavours broths, peels have fresh appeal. Of course, we're cheering this change

time-read
5 dak  |
November 16, 2024
Glamming up your getaway
Brunch

Glamming up your getaway

Every island in the Maldives is stunning. So how do resorts offer a luxury upgrade? At Cheval Blanc it's by elevating every experience-food, service, spa and beyond

time-read
3 dak  |
November 16, 2024
Benefits with friends
Brunch

Benefits with friends

Of course it's harder to make friends as we grow older. Responsibilities, increase, time is short. Luckily, we have our tribes

time-read
2 dak  |
November 16, 2024
A portrait to reflect upon
Brunch

A portrait to reflect upon

Playing with lighting and layering, a young Amrita Sher-Gil depicted herself as bold, mischievous, and enigmatic - all at once

time-read
2 dak  |
November 16, 2024
Keep your trope shut
Brunch

Keep your trope shut

A divided world, a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a prophecy, a burden too heavy for a young adult. 10 YA dystopian cliches to vanquish in battle.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 16, 2024
Sanjeeda Shaikh
Brunch

Sanjeeda Shaikh

Actor, @IAmSanjeeda

time-read
1 min  |
November 16, 2024