Aditi Rao Hydari: Cinema is much bigger than any of us
Sumitra Kumari is a superstar in Jubilee. She has writers writing for her, filmmakers making films for her, and the masses waiting to see her on the big screen. Sumitra Kumari believes in the magic of cinema. So does Aditi Rao Hydari, who plays Sumitra in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Prime Video series Jubilee which is currently being celebrated for its originality, and honesty. “Why do you want to be in cinema? If it is for that magic (of stories), and to tell stories, being a part of them, then that is rewarding because you are nurtured and loved. It is a priceless feeling,” says the actor, who has made quite a niche for herself in the OTT space with her performances in Sufiyum Sujatayam, and Ajeeb Dastans.
We chat with her about her movies, multilingual roles, and her passion for telling stories.
Becoming Sumitra Kumari- who runs a studio yet is vulnerable to so many things beyond her control- how did you prepare for this part?
As an actor, I like being told about every detail of the character. I enjoy my costume trails, and then I just like to be thrown onto a set to go with the flow. Especially with a good director, it is very exciting to work like that. I find it difficult to give you any kind of method and even if this sounds silly I would rather be honest (about it). I could connect with Sumitra’s yearning for true love. As a female actor, elements like protecting oneself or putting up a wall around us come naturally. Visually, Vikram Sir gave me references to Maharani Gayatri Devi and Audrey Hepburn. He also made me watch Rachel Weisz in ‘The Favourite’ to get that manner of looking down on people; and of putting up a wall around you. I don’t look into the monitor while shooting and I just follow the director’s instructions. But that quality of Sumitra protecting her fragile emotions by putting up a prickly and sarcastic exterior; and people still rooting for her, is something that has been very exciting. She fights for justice and keeps hoping to find the one she loves, which makes people like her. This character could easily have become quite unlikable.
Being a pan-Indian star has become the go-to thing for actors now. You have been working across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi cinema for quite some time and have delivered hits in each language…
I come from a multicultural family myself so it’s not alien to me; I enjoy it and embrace it. Many people asked me how I knew that this would eventually become a trend. However, I didn’t do it to be part of a trend, I did it because I believed in it.
I have this almost idealistic thing in my head and I believe it- cinema is about feelings. Feelings don’t have language. You should be able to work in any language. For me, I choose a film based only on the director. I would never call Mani Ratnam a Tamil director, or even an Indian director; he is a director. Same for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Vikramaditya Motwane, Mysskin, and the same for a debutant like Shahnawaz sir, who directed me in Sufiyum Sujatayum. As a director, their intention and passion is to create a world where I can suspend my belief and completely go along with this vision and I can surrender to it. Such directors create characters that will hopefully live on in people’s hearts.
How much has changed for women actors today if one were to compare their lives to that of Sumitra Kumari? Because you had to deal with uncertainty even after being in major films in Hindi cinema, do you find that women still need to fight for their corner in cinema?
As a lady superstar of her time, Sumitra Kumari commanded so much popularity with the masses. Films were written for her and she was the one who greenlit films. She had to keep fighting to be a woman superstar. That continues to be relevant for heroines possibly even today. People might want to watch you on-screen but it doesn’t always mean that the industry will give you a chance to be on-screen. All of us go through our struggles in the film industry in a manner that we know best. Having said that, I have never considered my challenges as bigger than this world of cinema. It is magical and much, much larger than any one of us. The only control you have over this world is your own intention.
Post Jubilee, given that you have been liked so much, what projects are you looking forward to?
I have Heeramandi coming up, with Sanjay Bhansali. I adore him and I feel very blessed to work with him for the second time around. There’s also Gandhi Talks, a silent film with Vijay Sethupathi and Arvind Swamy which is almost complete.