Aditi Rao Hydari on success of Sammohanam, working with Mysskin, and playing an astronaut in Antariksham

In 2017, Aditi Rao Hydari returned to South cinema after a decade with Mani Ratnam’s Kaatru Veliyidai, which gave her the perfect platform to showcase her acting prowess and leave a strong mark. She went on to sign another film with Ratnam – the upcoming multi-starrer Chekka Chivantha Vaanam , apart from making her Telugu debut with the critically acclaimed Sammohanam earlier this year, and being signed to play an astronaut in upcoming Telugu space drama Antariksham . In this exclusive chat with Firstpost, she talks about her southern sojourn, which could be best described as the most exciting phase of her career, teaming up with Mysskin, and the experience of playing an astronaut. [caption id=“attachment_4444097” align=“alignnone” width=“1200”] Aditi Rao Hydari. Facebook[/caption] Be it Leela Abraham from Kaatru Veliyidai or Sameera from Sammohanam, Aditi’s choice of roles in her recent films has helped her stand out from her contemporaries. She gives all the credit to her directors. “Be it Mani Ratnam or Mohana Krishna Indraganti, these are directors who gave me the space to take risks and experiment. When I work with them, I feel protected and nurtured. I know even if they push me to my breaking point, I can blindly surrender. These are directors with a unique voice and a very different way of telling stories, and I love breathing life into their vision as I find that process very exciting,” Aditi said, adding that Mysskin is no different and that she is looking forward to work with him. “As a filmmaker, he also has a unique voice and I’m excited to work with him.” Aditi teams up with Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mysskin’s yet-untitled project, which is expected to roll shortly. “When someone is so clear about their vision and express it with conviction, you can’t resist collaborating. I’ve followed Mysskin’s work and it’s very meaningful. I’ve already had a couple of script-reading sessions and I know working with him will be challenging, but fun," she said. As she gets ready to start shooting for Mysskin’s film, Aditi cannot contain her excitement about Antariksham, Telugu cinema’s maiden space film. Directed by _The Ghazi Attack-_fame Sankalp Reddy, the film stars Varun Tej in the titular role and Aditi will be seen as an astronaut. “It’s been a very new experience. I’m usually chosen for emotional scripts. It is for the first time that I’m doing a project that’s very technical and needs physical involvement. It’s on this film’s set I learnt to do back-flips and somersaults. We shot for 45 days and I was attached to a rope every single day. Physically, it was very exhausting but I liked it because it pushed me to the edge. As a role, it’s something I haven’t done before and the whole experience makes it exhilarating.” Essaying roles that do not require her to merely play the hero’s love interest, Aditi is glad she’s making the right choices. “The role of an astronaut is something that I’m thrilled about. In 2018, it is important for us girls to make responsible choices with the kind of roles we pick. If we want change, we have to be the change. This doesn’t mean I only want to do a certain kind of cinema. I like all kinds of films but whichever role you pick, your character has to mean something to the people around you," she added. Asked if the last two years have been the most fulfilling phase of her career, courtesy films such as Kaatru Veliyidai, Sammohanam and Antariksham, and the love she has been receiving from audiences, Aditi said, “For someone who has not grown up watching films and has no film background, I’m exploring each year, each day and each second of my career. While this phase is exciting, I have to admit I learn each day on a film set. Every film has contributed some way or the other getting me to two years ago. All the years before that were prepping for this phase. For someone who’s always been considered underrated for the longest time, it directors like Mani Ratnam and Mohana Krishna Indraganti who made me act it out of the park. Irrespective of the film I choose, I’ve always given my best. It’s up to a director see what I’m capable of doing.”