Aditi Rao Hydari is finally making her debut in the Telugu film industry, after having created a space for herself in Bollywood. The Hyderabad-born actor beams, “I was born here and my entire family is in Hyderabad. Although I have been to the city several times to visit my family and friends, I’ve never shot in the city yet. So you can imagine how excited I am to shoot in my own backyard!”
On being asked how she bagged the Telugu film, she shares, “I heard about how well Indraganti Mohankrishna sir narrates scripts, and pens substantial roles for his leading ladies. When he narrated the script to me, I was hooked. It is a sweet story and I am thrilled with his characterization.”
Does she think her Tollywood debut has been delayed? “I wasn’t an actor yet when I debuted in Malayalam, I was still studying then. It was only after I moved to Mumbai in 2010 that I became an actor. So it’s been just seven years in showbiz, which is relatively new for the industry. I am still learning,” she shares. Aditi adds, “I never differentiate between industries, and only look at scripts and filmmakers. I am grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had. Moreover, it has only been in the last couple of years that I’ve finally figured out that I can actually make a career in this industry.”
On her childhood memories of the city, she reveals, “My grandparents stay here and I visit them along with cousins. We have great fun, eating mangoes and yummy food. I get nostalgic whenever I come here. I always consider myself a Hyderabadi, my roots are here.” The Wazir actress says that she can understand Telugu, but can’t speak it fluently. “My formative years were not spent in Hyderabad, so I can only understand Telugu, but I love the culture. I still have a lot of childhood friends from the city.”
Aditi has started prepping for her Telugu film, starring Sudheer Babu. “Currently we are going through script reading sessions, rehearsals and workshops. It is a typical Bollywood filmmaking process and I love it. It also helps me to get a hang of the language, and the cast and crew. I have started taking Telugu diction classes as well,” she shares. Aditi gives us a sneak peak about her role, “I play a girl who comes from an educated family. The role is close to my real life persona, and I could easily connect to it. My looks in the movie are different too.”
