Aditi Rao Hydari says Sanjay?Dutt has got a very protective vibe

Hyderabad : Actor Aditi Rao Hydari has often said that never even in her dreams has she thought that she would get a chance to work with Sanjay Dutt in a film, leave aside playing the role of his on-screen daughter.

Asked if she felt any pressure about portraying the role in the just released film Bhoomi, and Aditi says that such thoughts strike her mind only when she is asked this question. When I’m working and when I’m in front of the camera, pressure or expectations aren’t things that I even think about. But people put it in my head later, and then it makes me realise, yeah, that’s actually quite a big deal,” says the actor, adding, “But while filming, I’m just happy and enjoying, responding, reacting, and being a sponge, absorbing everything.

However, Aditi admits that she was quite nervous on the first day of the shoot. “But a bear hug from Sanjay sir sorted it out and then he told me that he was as nervous, if not more, than me. He said, ‘You’ve been on a film set more recently and I haven’t been on one for so long.’ [Also], the best part was that we did our first scene together and that’s the first shot of the film, so that made things really comfortable for me from day one.”

All praise for Dutt and his acting prowess, Aditi recalls how he gives his 100% to every shot. He’s very much in the moment when he is performing and doesn’t think about anything else. I remember there were portions in the film when we both were in tears and the shot would just keep rolling and Omung [Kumar; director] sir won’t call cut and after a point, Sanjay sir would be asking for tissue paper. So, there were moments like these — so intense and powerful.

Not just on sets, Aditi says even off-camera, Dutt is an equally wonderful person to be with. He has got this very protective vibe and I always call him BFG -Big Friendly Giant. I lost my father to cancer, so each I got a hug from Sanjay sir or he would put his hand on my head, it would feel very comforting.