I am overwhelmed, enjoying it, as well as lying low

Aditi Rao Hydari has a lot to celebrate. Recently engaged to be married to long-time partner actor Siddharth, she has been garnering huge praise for her role as Bibbojaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. “I am overwhelmed, and enjoying it, as well as keeping it light and lying low,” she says.

Bhansali’s larger-than-life take on the world of the courtesans of Lahore’s pleasure district Heeramandi, comes liberally peppered with love, betrayal, heartbreak and the fight for freedom. Aditi plays the delicate Bibbojaan, who uses her proximity to rich patrons to leverage information for the revolutionaries in their fight for Independence against the British.

Woman of honour

Aditi reveals it was Bhansali who insisted she play Bibbo over another character. “I loved the fact that her core is very pure and she has a higher purpose. I enjoy working with Sanjay Sir and the challenges that he kept throwing my way. But, now as I watch the show, it has struck me what an honourable life he gave me to live on screen. As an actor, you need to drop all your baggage and surrender to his vision,” she asserts.

Sharing that her fiancé Siddharth was so moved by the show, and the world Bhansali had created, that he was at a loss for words, she says, “I remember that he was visibly affected and told me he had to meet Bhansali Sir. And after he regained his composure, he told me that we now had two freedom fighters at home – my Bibbo, and his Karan Singhania from Rang De Basanti.”

In defence of Bhansali

The project is Aditi's second collaboration with a Bhansali after Padmavaat in 2018. However, even though Heeramandi tops viewing charts, critics and others have pointed out historical inaccuracies and called it out for romanticising the suffering of women, especially the courtesans. But the actor is quick to defend the show and the director. “He is a legacy filmmaker, and I feel artistic people like him should be given some leeway to make the kind of cinema they want to make. This is uniquely his voice and his vision. And also, as a viewer, one should be generous enough to accept another person’s point of view and interpretation. Is this not what artistic freedom is about — having your own voice? People criticise the clothes, but this is his version of Heeramandi; we have not made a documentary — just enjoy the aesthetics. On the aspect of language, we are such a syncretic country, these women came from many places, and we are speaking a language which belongs to this region,” she argues.

Aditi also stands up in support of co-star Sharmin Segal, who has been subjected to scathing comments on social media. Sharmin, who is also Bhansali’s niece was panned for her portrayal of Alamzeb. “It is horrible to pick on anybody. People may like something or they may not, but there is a way to say it. It has been so mean and I feel it is extremely unfair. I am feeling really bad, and all I want to say is, we are there for each other,” Aditi stresses.

On the personal front

Aditi got engaged to Siddharth in March this year. The two starred together in Maha Samudram in 2021 and grew close. Though they sparked dating rumours with their vacation posts and a viral dance video, neither publicly acknowledged their relationship until March this year when speculation was rife that they had gotten married. Aditi put up a post of the two wearing their rings on social media, and wrote, ‘Engaged, he said yes.’ She said, “I guess it was the love in the hearts of our fans that they jumped to several conclusions. We were away at our family temple and it was also festival time for us. There is also a difference between secret and keeping it private; it was a private moment for us both, but we realised we needed to announce it, we owed it to our fans.”

The actor says though she and Siddharth may come from a similar space, they have different personalities; but they complement and understand each other well. “I love chatting with him and listening to him. We love what we do. But we don’t weigh heavily on each other and on ourselves. We keep it light. Siddhu is more into method, while I am instinctive, so those sides of our personalities are interesting,” she says with a blush, while her engagement ring sparkles.

Destination Cannes

Aditi, who is all set to represent India alongside Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, is determined to enjoy the festival. “It is my third outing, and am going as a L’oreal girl, which is a matter of great pride. I am now learning to be less stressed and to enjoy every aspect of my stay there. There is responsibility and a lot of fun”, she says, adding that she hasn’t decided on who will do her red-carpet outfit.

Aditi is all set to represent India alongside Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14. “It is my third outing, and am going as a L’oreal girl, which is a matter of great pride. I am now learning to be less stressed and to enjoy every aspect of my stay there,” she said.

Her fiancé Siddharth was so moved by the show, and the world Bhansali had created, that he was at a loss for words. She said, “He was visibly affected and told me he had to meet Bhansali Sir. And after he regained his composure, he told me that we now had two freedom fighters at home – my Bibbo, and his Karan Singhania from Rang De Basanti.”