Bollywood expects actors to dumb themselves down: Aditi Rao Hydari

Having taken time to get her bearings in the industry, the actor hopes for equal opportunities for aspirants.

MUMBAI: Aditi Rao Hydari may have taken some time to find her niche in Bollywood, but feels she is finally gearing towards making her mark in the industry. Aiming high, Hydari now wishes to become an “irreplaceable” actor.

“It’s all falling in place. I am happy that I have [found] my own place now. I want to be known as an actor who is irreplaceable. What is mine must only be mine,” said Hydari, who will be seen in distinctive roles in upcoming films Guddu Rangeela and The Legend Of Michael Mishra.

It has taken Aditi a while to get her bearings in the film industry since she became a part of it in 2006. She has been finalised opposite Farhan Akhtar in Bejoy Nambiar’s untitled film. That’s the leap in her career that Aditi had been waiting for.



Aditi, who starred in Delhi-6 (2006) and Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), feels it’s a disadvantage to be an outsider in Bollywood. Of the way single women are treated in the industry, she said, “It’s not that anyone takes advantage of you. I firmly believe the way one is treated depends on one’s conduct and intentions.” “Bollywood expects actors to dumb themselves down. That’s the way the men like it,” she added.

Luckily, she hasn’t met the off-screen baddies of Bollywood as yet. “So far, I’ve had no bad experiences. But it hasn’t been an easy journey for me. I didn’t know how to play the game,” she shared. “I wish I had people to tell me what to do, how to look for the right roles. In the absence of a support system, I just did whatever I thought right.”

The actor said that neither does she regret any of her career decisions, not does she feel victimised or mistreated. “But I do feel there are two distinct types of career opportunities in our industry: first, for girls from film families [belonging to the industry] and second, for girls who come to the industry with no connections.”



Aditi wishes for equal opportunities for aspirants. “Lineage advantage is a given rule in every sector, but at the same time, I think non-industry strugglers also deserve a chance. Let us outsiders prove ourselves.” She said she lacked experience, the required lineage and 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.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th,  2014.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.