Aditi Rao Hydari on initially declining Taj: Divided by Blood: No chance! Madhubala is Anarkali

It's nearly impossible to imagine any other performer playing Anarkali because the memory of the late Madhubala from Mughal-e-Azam (1960) is so ingrained in people's minds. When the actor got the chance to act in Taj: Divided by Blood, she felt the same way. The performer admits that she first turned down the role.

The actor told Mid Day that when she originally heard about this part, she thought that Anarkali was Madhubala, declined their offer, and thanked them.

Aditi Rao Hydari didn't change her mind until director Ron Scalpello and his crew convinced her that they weren't remaking Mughal-e-Azam but instead telling a very different story. In the new ZEE5 series, Naseeruddin Shah, Rahul Bose, Sandhya Mridul, and Aashim Gulati tell the story of how Akbar's sons turned against each other in their fight for the throne.

Anarkali, a courtesan, was a troublemaker after falling in love with Salim, one of Akbar's sons. Aditi points out that Taj depicts the courtesan in a more personal light. Ron and his team made it abundantly clear that they were not rewriting the love story. They were essentially producing a family drama. The way they perceived Anarkali was also different.

She is unaware that she will become famous for many generations to come. She was once merely a woman being held captive who yearned for release. She fell in love with the prince, which was both her greatest blessing and her greatest curse. Anarkali was a bold, spirited lady who stood by her love despite the punishment, despite the fact that people tend to view her as a tragic heroine.

Period dramas are frequently included in Aditi's filmography. She previously appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat (2018) and in the upcoming series Jubilee by Vikramaditya Motwane, which is set in 1960s Bollywood, as well as Bhansali's web series Heeramandi. What is it about her that draws filmmakers to historical dramas? Aditi replied that she didn't know. The actor does enjoy historical settings and epic romances. She is appreciative that the public enjoys these parts and that filmmakers see her in that light.

Aditi has always wanted to collaborate with specific directors, including Mani Ratnam, Bhansali, and most recently, Motwane. She considers it a blessing whenever one of my dreams comes true.