Talktime | Aditi Rao Hydari
After playing bubbly girl-next-door in movies like Delhi 6, Rockstar and london, Paris, New York, Hydari is all set to surprise you with her next big one, Bhoomi, where she will be seen playing an intense role of a daughter opposite Sanjay Dutt. She talks to Sangeeta Yadav about how she got into the skin of the character
What made you say yes to BhoomiIJ
It is an important story that needs to be told to the society. Set in a small town in Agra, Bhoomi is the story of a simple man and his daughter having the courage to take a stand and fight for the right. The movie is a reflection of a society where people live in fears every day, their world suddenly turns upside down and they just get lost in the crowd trying to adjust and figure out how and what to do. The frustration leads to things that should not have happened.
When you were reading the script, what thoughts crossed your mindIJ
When I read the script, I was speechless and it took my mind to various things that made me feel really terrible about the world in general. But I also felt that this film will give hope and courage to people to take a stand and fight back for the rights of simple people like Bhoomi and her father. Somewhere it is very empowering.
How difficult it was for you to play BhoomiIJ
I felt terrible and tortured while playing the character. I used to feel humiliated and wretched and after the scene, I would go and sit quietly in a corner. There is a scene in the film where somebody puts shuts my mouth with his hand and doesn’t let me scream like you might have been kidnapped or killed or sexually assaulted. I wish that this doesn’t happen to anyone and people would see this and stop from becoming so brutal. Silencing is so wild at so many different levels that it used to be too much to handle.
How did you shoot such intense scenesIJ
I used to feel very energised before the shoot but by the end of the day, I would feel drained out. The days when Sanju sir used to be on the set, it was amazing. Knowing that we are going to shoot hectic scenes, Sanju and Omung sir used to create a light environment by making others laugh out loud. Sanju sir’s switch-on and switch-off mode really helped me to do the same. Otherwise, to stay in that space all the time would have been horrible. As I wanted to do this movie, the determination kept me going.
How was it to work with Sanjay DuttIJ
When I joined the industry, he was not around and I thought I will never get an opportunity to work with him. To play daughter to Baba was really special. The first thing that clicks in my mind when I think of Sanju Baba was Mumma Bhai. I call him the ‘Big Friendly Giant’ (BFG) and his hugs are very much like jadoo ki jhappi. On the set, he would come and put his hand on my head in the morning and I would get the feeling that it would be a good day. I developed an amazing bond with him. It felt like I was being taken care of like his own daughter and felt so comfortable.
What was the most challenging thing for you in this movieIJ
Bhoomi stutters since childhood and to get that right and make it look real was tough. I had to make sure that I was not overreacting or making it look funny. I had to work on it a lot. You can’t train for feelings and emotions. That is the magic between action and cut. For underwater sequences and jumping off the bridges, I had to take proper training.
Any scene that shocked youIJ
The dialogue from the film where Bhoomi says: ‘ek ladki ka maika hota hai, sasuraal hota hai per ghar kaha hota haiIJ’ I couldn’t believe that this could be real and girls can be treated that way. It is sad but a lot of girls do feel that way. For girls like me, who have grown up with that love and protection, I feel your home is where your heart and love is, why is it not like that for every girl. Why girls have to constantly struggle to get that support and why is she either a father’s daughter or a husband’s wifeIJ Why is she not a person in herselfIJ These are some important questions that Bhoomi asks in the movie.