In a world where the clamour of money often overpowers the quieter language of empathy, Gandhi Talks unfolds through silence as much as story. For Aditi Rao Hydari, stepping into this largely dialogue-free narrative meant relying on emotional presence rather than words — a challenge she found deeply rewarding. While the film’s idea intrigued her during narration, on set she remained immersed in the immediacy of each moment.
“When you’re listening to the narration, the idea obviously matters because you’re looking at the film in totality and what it leaves you with. But when you’re on set, you’re dealing with what is happening right at that moment — how you create that moment for the audience to feel it,” she begins.
Rather than consciously carrying the thematic weight of the film into each scene, she approached the character through intimate human relationships. At a broader level, however, the theme resonated strongly with her. The film demanded a different kind of performance discipline. Without dialogue to lean on, communication had to emerge through subtle emotional shifts, expressions and physical awareness.
“Dialogue is something we all rely on. Words can be played with, and you can use them to your advantage. But when you’re left with no words, it’s what you’re feeling that shows on your face. You start noticing little details you might normally miss because you’re busy talking. There was a stillness to everything. You really feel what’s happening around you,” she notes.
Though she had previously portrayed a mute character in the Malayalam film Sufiyum Sujatayum, the experience here was markedly different. “In that film, I used sign language to communicate. Here, it’s mostly your eyes, your face and your body language that carry everything,” she explains.
Aditi also describes her acting philosophy as one rooted in surrender rather than control.
She shares, “I don’t like bringing baggage — ego or expectations — with me. If I come with preconceived ideas of how a scene should play out, I won’t be able to hear or see the person in front of me. I’ll only be involved with myself.”
Instead, she views acting as a collaborative process: “I like to surrender to the director’s vision and work with my co-actors. We are all working towards something larger. It’s not about self-aggrandisation.”
This approach also shaped how she navigated morally complex moments in the story, particularly when her character responds to a man, who begins to lose his moral compass.
“As an actor, I try not to judge anything. You leave aside what you personally think is right or wrong. This is the girl’s reality. There’s something so pure and expansive in her understanding that she doesn’t judge him either. She helps him stay on the path she believes is better. In a way, she becomes his conscience. Sometimes love and kindness can create change much more effectively than making someone feel terrible about themselves,” she enunciates.
Working opposite Vijay Sethupathi was another highlight of the experience. Aditi describes him as an actor she has long admired.
“I don’t analyse performances in technical terms,” she admits with a laugh, adding, “When I watch films, I like to watch them like a little kid listening to a story. If an actor can make me forget everything and just experience the story, that’s what I admire.”
She had previously shared screen space with him in a film by Mani Ratnam, though not in scenes together, which made this collaboration particularly exciting.
“For me, the excitement was simply to be in front of an actor who inspires you. He is very generous, very much a team player. It never felt like senior or junior — it felt like we were creating something together,” she recounts.
The set, she recalls fondly, had its own quiet rhythm. She shares, “He used to make me sing all the time (laughs) Whenever we had a break, he’d say, ‘Okay, now sing me a song.’ Honestly, that was probably the only noise on set.”
Beyond the film itself, the actor reflects candidly on the unpredictable rhythms of her own career. “After Heeramandi, I still had to wait a while to get something good,” she says, adding, “But that’s how it is for many of us who come from outside the industry.”
Her focus remains on quality rather than quantity. She states, “I want credible work. I want to create a cinematic legacy. I want to be part of films that live beyond me.”
Finally, when the conversation turns to Hyderabad — a city deeply connected to her childhood — Aditi’s voice softens.
“My family is there,” she says warmly. “My nana and nani’s house, my mother, my cousins — all my childhood memories are from Hyderabad. When I go back, I behave like a five-year-old (laughs). It’s family time. I don’t think about anything else,” she notes.
Looking ahead, the actor has several projects in the pipeline, including films with Imtiaz Ali and a number of Tamil releases currently in production. While she remains cautious about revealing details, one thing is certain: Aditi continues to approach her craft with the same quiet enthusiasm she describes throughout the conversation.