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Aditi Rao Hydari

Overview

Aditi Rao Hydari is an Indian actress and trained dancer who works primarily in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu cinema. She is known for her work in films such as Yeh Saali Zindagi, London, Paris, New York, Wazir, Bhoomi, Padmaavat, Kaatru Veliyidai and the streaming series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.

Key facts

Name Aditi Rao Hydari
Profession Actress, dancer, singer
Active in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema
Dance form Bharatanatyam
Notable films Delhi-6, Yeh Saali Zindagi, Wazir, Kaatru Veliyidai, Bhoomi, Padmaavat, Sufiyum Sujatayum, Maha Samudram, Hey Sinamika
Notable web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, Taj: Divided by Blood, The Girl on the Train

Background

Aditi Rao Hydari hails from a family with roots in the erstwhile Hyderabad State. Through her mother's side she is descended from J. Rameshwar Rao, the Raja of Wanaparthy, while through her father's side she is connected to the family of Akbar Hydari, who served as a senior administrator in Hyderabad during the British era. She trained in Bharatanatyam from a young age under Leela Samson and was associated with the Spanda dance ensemble before moving into films.

Career

Early work

She made her acting debut in the Malayalam film Prajapathi (2006), directed by Ranjith. Her first significant Hindi role came with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi-6 (2009), in which she appeared in a supporting role alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor.

Hindi cinema

She drew critical attention for her performance in Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011) opposite Irrfan Khan. Subsequent Hindi films include London, Paris, New York (2012), Murder 3 (2013), Boss (2013), Wazir (2016) opposite Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar, and Bhoomi (2017) with Sanjay Dutt. In 2018 she played Mehrunisa, the wife of Malik Kafur, in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat.

South Indian cinema

She played the female lead in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Kaatru Veliyidai (2017) opposite Karthi, a role that earned her wide critical praise. Other South Indian work includes Sammohanam (2018, Telugu), Antariksham 9000 KMPH (2018, Telugu), Cheekati Rajyam, Sufiyum Sujatayum (2020, Malayalam), Maha Samudram (2021, Telugu) and Hey Sinamika (2022, Tamil).

Streaming and recent work

She featured in the Hindi adaptation of The Girl on the Train (2021) and in the historical drama Taj: Divided by Blood (2023), in which she portrayed Anarkali. In 2024 she appeared as Bibbojaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Netflix series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, set in pre-Partition Lahore.

Other activities

Aditi Rao Hydari has been associated with brand endorsements in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle segments and has performed as a playback singer on a few occasions, including songs in films she has acted in. She is also active in supporting causes related to wildlife conservation and animal welfare.

Significance

Within contemporary Indian cinema, she is regarded as a performer who has worked across multiple language industries and has chosen a mix of mainstream and author-backed roles. Her collaborations with directors such as Mani Ratnam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sudhir Mishra and Bejoy Nambiar have positioned her as part of a generation of actors who move fluidly between Bollywood and southern film industries as well as streaming platforms.

References