Talented Indian actress Aditi Rao Hydari was in the UK recently for India Global Forum’s 3rd Culture and Creative Economies Forum, where she spoke about her exciting upcoming project and shared her views on the increasingly accessible nature of the Indian regional cinema.
Speaking about her upcoming film, entitled ‘Lioness’, Hydari said: “Lioness is a story about two women, a century apart and how their lives impacted each other.”
The film is about the British Indian activist Sophia Dulip Singh, the daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh - the last ruler of the Sikh empire - and the goddaughter of Queen Victoria, and her suffragette movement. ‘Lioness’ is directed by Kajri Babbar and will also see British Indian actress Paige Sandhu alongside Hydari.
Despite there being a treaty signed between India and the UK for audio-visual co-production in 2008, Hydari’s ‘Lioness’ will become the first official film to be produced under this agreement.
“Cinema is a connection of hearts and how I make you feel. And I can make you feel in any language or even without language,” said Hydari, talking about the growing impact of Indian regional cinema.
Having grown up around a lot of classical arts and literature, Hydari shared that she has never looked at cinema as belonging to a particular region.
MORE LIKE THIS…
“I never thought that I’m doing a Tamil or Telugu or Hindi film. For me, it has always been about the director. A director will take you into a world and as an actor it is my job to make that happen for you. And then for you to immerse yourself in the world that we are all creating together,” the talented performer added.
During the conversation Hydari was also asked to share her experience of working with renowned director Sanjay Leela Bhansali for her latest Netflix series, ‘Heeramandi’, which saw global fame and success.
“He’s the hardest on himself. He will pace up and down like a caged tiger till he gets his shot. He wants to create magic in every single moment that he captures on camera,” Hydari explained.
MORE LIKE THIS…
“Here, the dance is intimate rather than performative. At the same time, despite it being a love poetry, there is also another narrative going on for this girl in her life, which is longing for freedom,” Hydari explained.
Other than ‘Lioness’, Hydari will also be seen in the silent film ‘Gandhi Talks’ this year.