Aditi Rao Hydari, like all Mani Ratnam heroines, has explored a new self to her through the process of doing the role. In the process of playing a doctor (something she wanted to become before becoming an actress) in Cheliyaa, Aditi not only learned Tamil by heart but also pushed herself to limits. “He demands best and that motivates us to push oneself. It’s a dream-come-true to work with him,” says the girl who has a Telugu connection. Mani being a perfectionist, does he allow his actors to have a say at all?

“He gives his actors space and freedom they need. Working with him gives us an opportunity to discover a new character by ourselves,” she says. Most of Mani’s classics like Roja and Bombay, Cheliyaa too has a universal appeal. Aditi is conscious of the same. “Cinema has no boundaries. It doesn’t know linguistic or regional distinctions. When a movie is made by a great director like Mani Ratnam, we don’t think of it as a film from this or that industry,” she says.

“I feel that those actors who get to act in multiple languages are really lucky,” she further adds. About her co-star, she says, “When you are working with a co-star like Karthi, acting becomes easier.” It’s not every time that Suhasini praises her husband’s heroines. Mention that and Aditi smiles and says, “The appreciation Suhasini garu showered on me during the audio launch should go to Mani Ratnam garu. Whatever I have done is because of him. I still can’t believe that I have worked in his direction.”