Aditi Rao Hydari

She appeared in the action-thriller Wazir (2016) and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical drama Padmaavat (2018), one of the highest-grossing Indian films of that year, for which she won the IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress. In South Indian cinema, she played the female lead in Mani Ratnam's Kaatru Veliyidai (2017), for which she won the SIIMA Award for Best Female Debut – Tamil, and starred in the Telugu romantic drama Sammohanam (2018), earning the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. Her later work includes Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (2018), Sufiyum Sujatayum (2020), Maha Samudram (2021), and appearances in Hindi anthologies and web series such as Ajeeb Daastaans (2021), Jubilee (2023), and Heeramandi (2024).

Aditi Rao Hydari studied at University of Delhi, Rishi Valley School and Lady Shri Ram College for Women. The recorded working language is Hindi and Malayalam. Distinctions recorded are Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress, Indian Television Academy Awards, International Indian Film Academy Awards and Zee Cine Awards Telugu.

• Name — Aditi Rao Hydari • Birthplace — Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India • Born — 28 October 1978 • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 2006–present • Mother — Vidya Rao • Relatives — Kiran Rao (cousin) • Family — Tyabji–Hydari family

Aditi Rao Hydari was born in Hyderabad to Ahsan Hydari, an engineer, and Vidya Rao, a classical singer trained in the thumri and dadra traditions of Hindustani music. Both her parents belonged to the nobility of the erstwhile Hyderabad State. Her paternal grandfather, Akbar Hydari, served as the Prime Minister of Hyderabad, and her grand-uncle, Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, was the Governor of Assam. On her mother's side, her maternal grandmother, Shanta Rameshwar Rao, was the founder of Vidyaranya High School in Hyderabad and chairperson of the publishing house Orient Blackswan. Vidya Rao is the step-daughter of Raja J. Rameshwar Rao, the last ruling Raja of Wanaparthy, one of the prominent feudal estates under the Nizam's dominion. Filmmaker Kiran Rao is her maternal first cousin. Adit's parents separated when she was two years old, and she was raised by her mother in Hyderabad and Delhi. She studied at Rishi Valley School, a residential institution run by the Krishnamurti Foundations, and later graduated from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi. Exposed to the classical arts from a young age, she began learning Bharatanatyam at age five and later trained under renowned dancer Leela Samson. Aditi uses both of her parents' surnames, Rao and Hydari.

Hydari began her career as a Bharatanatyam dancer, having developed an interest in the art form through her association with dancer Leela Samson from the age of 11. She became part of Samson's dance group, Spanda, where she taught students and performed across India and internationally in stage productions. In 2004, Hydari completed work on her first film project, Sringaram, in which she played the lead role of a 19th-century devadasi (temple dancer). The Tamil film was directed by Sharada Ramanathan and produced by Bharatanatyam dancer Padmini Ravi. Hydari was cast after Ramanathan saw her perform at a dance conference and reportedly noted her resemblance to classical dancer Shobana. The film was screened at several international film festivals during 2005 and 2006 and received critical acclaim in India, winning three National Film Awards. Although it had a limited theatrical release in October 2007, reviews were positive. One critic noted, "The film has brilliant acting from the lead, Aditi Rao." Her first theatrically released film, however, was the Malayalam-language Prajapathi (2006), in which she starred opposite Mammootty. She was recommended for the role by actress Suhasini, and director Ranjith cast her after contacting her through cinematographer Madhu Ambat, who had worked on Sringaram. Hydari portrayed an orphan who falls in love with the protagonist, though her role was described as minor; a Rediff reviewer commented that she "has nothing to do with the overall plot." In 2009, Hydari appeared in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Hindi drama Delhi-6, where she played the role of an unmarried woman navigating societal expectations in a conservative community. Mehra reportedly cast her after watching her performance in Sringaram.

• Illustration — Hydari in 2011 In 2011, Hydari appeared opposite Arunoday Singh in Sudhir Mishra's crime thriller Yeh Saali Zindagi, portraying the wife of a former convict. The film attracted attention prior to release for its intimate scenes between the lead pair. Her performance received critical acclaim, and she was awarded the Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress. The same year, she played a supporting role in Imtiaz Ali’s musical romantic drama Rockstar, featuring Ranbir Kapoor. Although initially considered for the lead role, she was later cast as a television reporter. Several of her scenes were cut from the final version, and critics noted the limited development of her character. Her performance in the film earned her a nomination for the Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Seeking lead roles, Hydari starred opposite Ali Zafar in London, Paris, New York (2012), directed by Anu Menon. The romantic comedy follows a couple’s encounters across three cities. Hydari also made her singing debut by contributing two songs to the film’s soundtrack. Her performance received favourable reviews, with critics from Sify, The Hindu, and NDTV praising her screen presence and character portrayal. That year, she also performed the Hindi version of the song "We Are Family" for the animated film Ice Age 4: Continental Drift. In 2013, she starred as Roshni in Murder 3, a psychological thriller directed by Vishesh Bhatt and part of the Murder franchise. Hydari noted her interest in playing a role that diverged from her earlier portrayals of innocent characters. Her performance was generally well received, with Bollywood Hungama describing it as a "knockout". She next appeared alongside Akshay Kumar in the action film Boss (2013), directed by Anthony D'Souza. The film received mixed reviews but performed well commercially. Hydari had brief appearances in two films in 2014: as a princess in the Hindi film Khoobsurat and as a dancer in the Marathi-language period drama Rama Madhav, the latter at the request of choreographer Saroj Khan. In 2015, she played a key role in the comedy-drama Guddu Rangeela, directed by Subhash Kapoor. Although the film had an average box office performance, Hydari’s portrayal of a woman with a concealed past was noted positively by critics.

• Illustration — Hydari at the Vogue Fashion Weekend, 2017 In 2016, Hydari appeared in Bejoy Nambiar’s crime thriller Wazir, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar. She portrayed Ruhana, the wife of Akhtar’s character. The film received generally positive reviews and was commercially successful, earning around ₹620 million (US$7.2 million). Critics noted Hydari’s restrained performance, with Firstpost describing her as a "welcome change" from conventional portrayals of women, while India Today praised the vulnerability she brought to the role. She next played the younger version of Begum Hazrat, originally portrayed by Tabu, in Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor, a musical romantic drama based on Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. The film opened to mixed-to-positive reviews and underperformed at the box office, though Hydari's brief performance was well received. Later that year, she appeared in The Legend of Michael Mishra, which was met with negative reviews; critics singled out Hydari's performance as one of the film's few positives. In 2017, Hydari starred in Kaatru Veliyidai, her first collaboration with director Mani Ratnam. She played a doctor stationed in Kargil during the 1999 war, opposite Karthi. The film received mixed reviews, though Hydari’s performance, along with A. R. Rahman's score and Ravi Varman’s cinematography, was widely praised. Her performance in the film earned her the SIIMA Award for Best Female Debut – Tamil. She followed this with Bhoomi, where she starred opposite Sanjay Dutt as a sexual assault survivor in a revenge drama directed by Omung Kumar. • Illustration — Hydari at an event for her film Sammohanam Hydari’s first release of 2018 was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s historical drama Padmaavat, in which she played Mehrunisa, the first wife of Alauddin Khalji, portrayed by Ranveer Singh. The film, released amid controversy, became a major box-office success and received mixed-to-positive reviews. Critics noted Hydari’s presence as one of the more effective performances among the ensemble cast. She next appeared as Chandni in Daas Dev, a political adaptation of Devdas, directed by Sudhir Mishra. Later that year, she reunited with Mani Ratnam for Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, a Tamil-language action-drama, playing Parvathi opposite Arvind Swamy. The film was released globally and emerged as a commercial success. Hydari made her Telugu debut with Sammohanam (2018), playing an actress opposite Sudheer Babu. Her performance was received positively, with The Hindu remarking that her role "will stay with you." It earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. She ended the year with Antariksham 9000 KMPH, a Telugu science fiction thriller. Following a brief hiatus, Hydari appeared in three films in 2020. She starred opposite Udhayanidhi Stalin in the Tamil psychological thriller Psycho, directed by Mysskin. In Sufiyum Sujatayum, a Malayalam romantic drama, she portrayed a mute woman in a relationship with a Sufi dancer. While the film received mixed reviews, critics noted her expressive performance. She later appeared in the Telugu action thriller V, playing the wife of Nani’s character. Though her screen time was limited, her presence was cited as adding emotional weight to the film’s climax. In 2021, Hydari featured in The Girl On The Train, a Hindi adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ novel of the same name. She then appeared in the Netflix anthology Ajeeb Daastaans, which received favorable reviews. That year, she also made a brief appearance in Sardar Ka Grandson, and starred in the Telugu film Maha Samudram opposite Siddharth and Sharwanand. Her sole release in 2022 was the Tamil romantic drama Hey Sinamika, in which she portrayed Mouna, a psychologist navigating a troubled relationship. The film received mixed reviews, though Hydari’s performance was described as mature and emotionally grounded.

Hydari made her web series debut in 2023 with Taj: Divided by Blood, portraying the historical figure Anarkali. The series received mixed reviews, and her role was noted for its limited narrative depth. The Quint observed that the character had minimal development beyond visual appeal. Later that year, she starred as an actress in Jubilee, a period drama created by Vikramaditya Motwane. Her performance as Sumitra Kumari received generally positive feedback, with The Indian Express describing her as a "perfect fit" for the role despite some repetitive emotional expressions. In 2024, Hydari played Bibbojaan, a courtesan, in Heeramandi, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Her portrayal was highlighted by Scroll.in, which noted her effectiveness in conveying emotional resilience beneath a soft-spoken exterior. Critics also remarked on her visual presence, with Rediff.com praising her screen appearance. In 2026, Hydari appeared in silent film Gandhi Talks, alongside Vijay Sethupathi and Arvind Swamy, and will next portray in Lioness, a British-Indian historical drama co-starring Paige Sandhu.

In 2004, The Hindu reported that Hydari was married to actor and former lawyer Satyadeep Mishra. She was 21 when she was married. She revealed in 2013 that they had separated, but continue to be close friends. Hydari met actor Siddharth while working on the film Maha Samudram (2021), and the two began dating the same year. The couple announced their engagement on 28 March 2024. Hydari married Siddharth on 16 September 2024 at Sri Ranganayaka Swamy Temple, Wanaparthy.

• Illustration — Hydari at an event in 2017 Hydari’s performance in the Tamil film Kaatru Veliyidai (2017) was featured in Film Companion’s list of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade". She has consistently appeared in The Times of India’s annual "50 Most Desirable Women" rankings, placing sixth in 2018, ninth in 2019, and sixteenth in 2020. She was named the Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Woman in 2018, and was ranked fourth and sixth in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Hydari was also listed by Chennai Times as the Most Desirable Woman of 2019 and ranked fifth in 2020. She is an endorser for several brands such as L'Oreal Paris, Airtel, Cadbury, Maaza, and Avon.

• Year — Title — Role — Network — Notes — Reference(s) • 2023 — Taj: Divided by Blood — Anarkali — ZEE5 • Jubilee — Sumitra Kumari — Amazon Prime Video • 2024present — Heeramandi — Bibbojaan — Netflix • O Saathi Re — Filming

• Year — Movie — Dubbing for — Language — Notes — Ref. • 2022 — Ponniyin Selvan: I — Trisha — Hindi — Dubbed for the character Kundavai • 2023 — Ponniyin Selvan: II

• Year — Award — Category — Film — Result — Ref. • 2010 — Screen Awards — Best Ensemble Cast — Delhi-6 • 2013 — Best Supporting Actress — Yeh Saali Zindagi • Zee Cine Awards — Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female • Stardust Awards — Best Actress • London, Paris, New York • Producers Guild Film Awards — Best Actress in a Supporting Role — Rockstar • 2014 — BIG Star Entertainment Awards — Most Entertaining Actor in a Thriller Film – Female — Murder 3 • 2018 — Asiavision Awards — Best Actress – Tamil — Kaatru Veliyidai • Edison Awards — Face of the Year • South Indian International Movie Awards — Best Female Debut – Tamil • 2019 — Zee Cine Awards Telugu — Best Debut Actor – Female — Sammohanam • Filmfare Awards South — Best Actress – Telugu • South Indian International Movie Awards — Best Actress – Telugu • International Indian Film Academy Awards — Best Supporting Actress — Padmaavat • 2023 — Indian Television Academy Awards — Best Actress – Popular (OTT) — Jubilee

• Year — Award — Category — Result — Ref. • 2023 — Distinctive International Arab Festivals Awards — Outstanding Contributions to the Entertainment Industry • 2024 — Bollywood Hungama Style Icons — Most Stylish Classic Beauty of the Year