The Kathak dance number in the Marathi film Rama Madav has fetched Aditi Rao tremendous attention.
Not many people know the dance was meant to be performed by Madhuri Dixit. Due to the Dixit's unavailability Aditi got the rare chance to perform an Indian classical dance number on screen.
Exults Aditi, "I don't think anyone in Bollywood apart from Saroj Khan knows I'm a trained dancer. I am so glad I got to do this Kathak number, for whatever reason. Working with Saroj Khanji was a dream come true. We rehearsed for four days and shot the dance number in 3 hours. Now when people who've seen the dance say it reminds them of my dancing in my early Tamil film Sringaram, I feel good."
It has taken the very beautiful Aditi Rao Hydari quite a while to find her bearings in the film industry. She has been finalized opposite Farhan Akhtar in Bejoy Nambiar's untitled film. That's the leap in her career Aditi was waiting for patiently while girls far less graceful, pretty but far more aggressive when it came to self-promotion, raced past her.
But Aditi is not complaining. "It all happens when it is meant to happen. I didn't have any guidance after I did Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi 6 and Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi. I got noticed in both films. In fact my proudest moment as a newcomer was when Mr Bachchan praised me in Delhi 6 and said I'd go very far."
The Big B's prediction about Aditi took time to fructify.
The girl who hails from a very distinguished family of aristocrats and scholars says she lacked experience, the required lineage and the diplomatic skills to make her way through the film industry. "I may come from a very distinguished background. But that meant zilch to my career in Mumbai. No producer would give me a role just because my great grand-uncle was the governor of Assam or my great grandfather was royalty. I mean, who the hell cares where I came from? I was a raw newcomer with no one to tell me what to do. On top of that I had no connections within the film industry. Nor could I hold a drink in my hand and mouth pleasantries at parties."
Aditi feels it's a disadvantage to be an outsider in Bollywood. "Not that anyone takes advantage of you. I firmly believe the way one is treated depends on one's conduct and intentions. Of course men will look at you in a certain way if you are single and attractive. I believe most men behave strangely with women when their wives and girlfriends are not watching."
Luckily Aditi hasn't met the wolves of Bollywood. "So far I've had no bad experiences. But yes, it hasn't been an easy journey for me. I didn't know how to play the game. I wish I had people to tell me what to do, how to look for the right roles, etc. In the absence of a support system I just did whatever I thought right. I don't regret any of my career decisions. Nor do I feel victimized or mistreated. But I do feel there are two distinct types of career opportunities in our industry. One for girls from film families and another for girls who come to the industry with no connections."
Aditi wishes for equal opportunities for aspirants. "I am not saying, don't favour actors and actresses from within the industry. Why not? Lineage advantage is a given rule in every sector. Children of potters and entrepreneurs go into the family profession. Likewise star kids. But at the same time I think non-industry strugglers also deserve a chance. So there should be equal opportunities. Let us outsiders prove ourselves. For that we need the roles. "
Even after scene-stealing performances in Delhi 6 and Yeh Saali Zindagi the actress felt over-qualified during her period of struggle. "I don't know what it was about me. I was told it was a problem of slotting me. 'You are a complete package. I don't know how to use you in my film.' I'd hear this many times. It took a long time to find out they meant I was good looking and talented and I could sing and dance. So they didn't know which of my skills to use. Bollywood expects actresses to dumb themselves down. That's the way the men like it. I say, stop just talking about new talent. Have the courage to give breaks to actors who are not established or connected to film families."
Not that Aditi has any reason to feel sorry for herself. "I've been lucky. My struggle was neither long nor painful nor humiliating. I've heard so many chilling stories of what non-filmy newcomers have to go through. I just wish I had better guidance when I came here."
Not that she is friendless in the film fraternity. "Shristhi Behl is someone I can turn to anytime I need help. Even Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt for whom I did Murder 3 are always there to guide me."
Would she have desisted from doing multiple smooches with Arunodoy Singh in Yeh Saali Zindagi and the bikini sequence in Boss if she had a choice?
Aditi retorts defiantly, "I am very proud of my bikini sequence in Boss. I think I have the physique to carry off the swimwear. No one can force me to wear what I don't want to. I wore a bikini in Boss because I was comfortable in that scene. If I am not convinced then no power on earth can convince me."
As for Yeh Saali Zindagi, Aditi feels things went out of hand. "About the kisses, I'll have to admit we went over-board. I realized only later that the image is very important for the Hindi film actress. It doesn't matter how many times a male actor kisses on screen. If a female actor is seen smooching repeatedly she acquires a reputation. Ours is a very conservative audience and film industry. Here, smoking, drinking and wearing short dresses are equivalents of being liberated. For me these external trappings of emancipation are secondary. To me freedom means the freedom to say yes or no as I want."
Aditi is happy she said yes to Subhash Kapoor's Guddu Rangeela and Manish Jha's The Legend Of Michael Mishra. "In Guddu Rangeela I am cast as a deaf and mute girl from Chandigarh. It's a very unusual role. I love the way Subhash Kapoor has written my character. In The Legend Of Michael Mishra, I am an aspiring actress from Patna who believes she speaks very good English."
Aditi couldn't have asked for more. "It's all falling in place. I am happy that I have own place now. I want to be known as an actress who is irreplaceable. What is mine must only be mine."
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