Sammohanam has weight in the story: Aditi

Aditi Rao Hydari plays the role of an actress in Sammohanam. It is the story that drew her to this film. Language was never a barrier for this actress. She tells us why she chose supporting role in Padmavat and much more in this chit chat. 

Did Cheliya's failure bother you?

Not at all. It was a dream come true to work with Mani sir. Failures are a part and parcel of the game. The more failures you get, the more successful you become. After doing Cheliya only, I got Sammohanam and Sankalp Reddy's film where I play an astronaut. I look at the bigger picture which will help in the future.

Which aspect of Sammohanam attracted you the most?

The vulnerability in my character hit me instantly. The way people have a rude impression about heroines and the manner in which working women face these perceptions in their daily life was handled aptly. That part of it I, felt would come very rarely for an actress to portray and I grabbed it with both hands. 

Was language a barrier?

Language has never been a barrier. If that was the case, I would have been happily doing Bollywood projects. It is all about how you are portrayed by your director. When Mani sir called me for Cheliya, not once did I think of the language. Same happened for Sammohanam as I just saw the weight in the story and said okay to it.

How helpful were Indraganti and Sudheer Babu?

I will be always grateful to Indraganti sir as he waited for me so that I can finish my pending assignments. The way he has portrayed me in the film is amazing. He gave me that space to perform and whatever you will see on screen is thanks to his support. Sudheer is a sweetheart. He is always to himself and is a director's actor. He is like clay and one needs to mould him in a way they want to.

Don't you think you have peaked a little late in your career?

I don't think so. Everything has a time and things work for you only when the time comes. I was happily doing Bollywood films and Cheliya happened. That lead to Sammohanam and now two other Telugu films are happening. You need to go with the flow and select the best from what you get.

What made you choose a supporting role in a film like Padmavat?

More than a heroine, I am an artist first. I never see how long the role of my character is. Sometimes it is the job satisfaction of working with the likes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali or Mani Ratnam. It's not the role but the team which is making the film matters to me most of the time. 

What difference do you find in Bollywood and south movies?

In Bollywood, roles are written comprehensively for women. But things are changing in the south too. Directors like Shekar Kammula and many others are making top class films which I would love to be a part of in the future. That is the exact reason I signed Mani Ratnam's multi-starrer and Sankalp Reddy's film.