Born on October 28, 1986, Aditi Rao Hydari belongs to two royal lineages. Her maternal side grandfather - Raja J Rameshwar Rao, was the King of Wanaparthy (Telangana) and on her paternal side, she is the grandniece of Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, the first Indian Governor of Assam. (All photos/Aditi Rao Hydari's official Instagram account and AFP)

Aditi Rao Hydari had been training in Bharatanatyam since she was five, so dancing comes to her very naturally. Whenever Aditi wants to de-stress herself, she puts on some nice music and dance to it.

In picture: Aditi Rao Hydari with her father Ehsaan Hydari. He passed away in 2013.

"I was five when I started learning Bharatanatyam. It was my choice to dance, also because I was surrounded by the classical arts. I was lucky that I got a teacher like Leela Samson. Although I was in boarding school and my mother was very insistent that I finish my education, I performed a lot before I became an actor," said Aditi.

Aditi Rao Hydari is a complete sportsperson. She runs around or plays sports. Volleyball and basketball are her favourite sports on a beach holiday. Otherwise, Aditi likes playing Pitthu (Lagori) as well. Whenever she catches up with her cousins, they make sure to play pitthu at least once.

Aditi Rao Hydari first appeared as Rama Bua in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi-6, but it was Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi which brought the actress to prominence.

Aditi Rao Hydari hails from Hyderabad. However, she moved to New Delhi with her mother at age two, when her parents separated. Aditi learnt music from her mother Vidya Rao, an acclaimed classical singer.

"When I came to Mumbai, I thought this place would be scary. I'm an only child and I have a protective family. Even the boarding school set-up was very different. There was no competition; it was an ideal place. Here, people can be nasty and I'm not used to that. But I believe one can survive in places like this. People have been very good to me here and I'm very grateful to them," said Aditi Rao Hydari in a candid chat with mid-day.

In the midst of the #MeToo wave that took Bollywood by storm in 2018, Aditi Rao Hydari said she faced one bad experience initially in her career but she never settled for anything lesser than dignity and respect over opportunity and fame.

Recalling her days as a struggler in the film industry, Aditi Rao Hydari told IANS, "I had one bad experience and I stepped out from that, though I had a three-film deal. I was new and naive, but I have been brought up in a way where I know how to stand for my dignity. So I let go of an opportunity if it requires me to do anything to compromise on my dignity."

Having made her debut in 2009, Aditi Rao Hydari has appeared in movies like London Paris New York, Rockstar, Murder 3, Delhi-6, Daas Dev, Wazir, Bhoomi, among others.

Aditi Rao Hydari says she wants to collaborate with good directors as being an outsider she does not have the privilege to get roles written for her. "I want to work with good people and good directors. I don't have the privilege of choice to say 'I want to work with you' and the person will say, 'Yes, come on, I will write a film for you.' It doesn't happen for people like me who come from the outside," she told PTI.

On the personal front, Aditi Rao Hydari was married to actor Satyadeep Misra, best known for his role in TV show P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke. However, the couple separated in 2013.

"I don't have so many close friends from the industry and I like it that way. I keep that area separate from my personal space. I try not to let the boundaries merge. I'm quite careful about having people close to me who will tell me the truth. In this industry, we hear a lot of praise on the face. But whether it's compliments or criticism, you have to see where it's coming from. You should take them seriously only if they're coming from people who're really close to you," said Aditi Rao Hydari, who prefers to keep her personal life under wraps.

Aditi Rao Hydari says time is luxury and that she believes in living in the moment. "Time is a real luxury and it's the only thing that keeps moving and the only thing you have to grab and make the most of. So, I really believe in living in the moment and giving my 100 per cent to that moment," says Aditi, and we can't agree more!

Aditi Rao Hydari's last film Sufiyum Sujathayum, a romantic offering, saw her as a mute Kathak dancer who falls in love with a Sufi priest. It released on OTT platform on July 3, 2020. She was later seen in V, co-starring Nani, Sudheer Babu and Nivetha Thomas. It released on September 5, 2020.

Well, for the unversed, Aditi Rao Hydari has been part of the South film industry for more than 15 years now. She started her journey in 2006 with Malayalam film Prajapathi. Kaatru Veliyidai, Sammohanam, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Antariksham 9000 KMPH, Psycho, are one of her popular films, she did down south.

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Aditi!