When you perform better than the lead actress of your film, your support becomes risky for the film. Ask Aditi Rao Hyadri, who after giving three back-to-back solid performances ( Delhi 6 , Yeh Saali Zindagi and Rockstar ) in supporting roles, is graduating to a solo lead in debutante Anu Menon's romance London Paris New York releasing this Friday.“I didn't have any connection with the film world and I have always believed to make the best of whatever choices that are offered to me and I think I have done it with clear intentions and honesty. I will not deny that I always wanted to play the lead but the parts I did were beautifully written. But in supporting roles you only get a jhalak ( glimpse) of the actor, while in the lead part you get to portray a whole gamut of expressions, you go through the full journey.” Like an opening batsman? “Yes, to an extent. However, supporting parts come with their own challenges. You are given a particular area and in that you have to bloom. Like in Delhi 6 I was cast at the very last minute. It was a role of a girl more mature than my age. I think the makers were struggling how to use me. The brief given to me was that the role is akin to Jaya Bhaduri's role in Sholay . Life has not been kind to her but she remains pure. It was an old world part. But I broke that image with Yeh Saali Zindagi .”
But what happens when you are not allowed to bloom, like in Rockstar ? “I do not regret a decision. May be because I am a dancer (she trained in Bharatanatyam under Leela Samson) and dance is all about creating stories. Sometimes, when a part is narrated to me, I create a whole scenario around it. It was a nice part except for the fact that it was a little abrupt. That is a director's call. He didn't realise its full potential as the written part. However, I often get to hear that we wanted to see more of you.” And that's perhaps the bottomline for growing in an industry where many end up playing the same roles all their lives .
From Yash Chopra's chiffon laced candy floss to Anurag Kashyap's intense flicks, she is game for experimentation. “I can adapt myself to situations. I want to be a star who acts.”
As of now she is on a trip called London, Paris, New York with Ali Zafar . Is there anything else left to explore in a romantic comedy? “The tea that I make and the tea you make are going to be different. It is in the telling of story.”
She describes the film as a journey of love in three days. “The new thing is every day is a full journey and it mirrors what the characters are going through. London is warm, sunny and friendly and it is conducive for falling in love. Paris with its Gothic architecture brings the edginess to the love story. There is more drama in the story, just like the city. And New York is a city where literally you can do what you want. There are no full stops. Like a running sentence full of energy, here you can be who you want to be and that is what happens to the characters as they fall in love.”
Even the styling of the film, Aditi adds, is very real. “I play a middle class girl from Chembur. She is half Tamil Brahmin and half Maharashtrian Brahmin. She is very idealistic girl, who wants to change the world. The best part is the cities, the styling and the characters are all on the same wavelength. There is nothing jarring. The songs are also situational. Ali's character is more chilled out while mine is very proper like you should not scream in a church,” says Aditi, who has also sung two songs in the film.
She was selected for the role after the makers watched her in the Airtel advertisement, where she managed to convey much more than a 30 second ad demands. “My mother is a classical musician and she always told me your riyaz is your riyaz. You should approach the performance as if you are doing it for the first time. For me spontaneity is very important. I really follow the director but sometimes you don't agree with his perception of the scene. I am able to say it and shut my eyes and photographically imagine the scene. You can't imitate a director otherwise your performance is going to be hollow. Your job is to give director's vision a life.”
Solo and steady! Aditi Rao Hyadri says no to any more supporting roles as something big is on the cards.
