Saba Azad began her journey early, making her Bollywood debut with Dil Kabaddi in 2008. Alongside acting, she also pursued a parallel career in music. Born in Delhi to a Punjabi Sikh father and a Muslim mother, Saba is the niece of theatre legend Safdar Hashmi. Never one to conform, she is now winning praise for her understated and graceful performance in Songs Of Paradise, where she plays Kashmir’s first public female singer.
Saba Azad on her role as Kashmir’s first public singer in Songs of Paradise; “Does it excite me? That’s the only question I ask”
That is quite a performance in Songs Of Paradise. How did the plum role come your way?
I read for the part. I was travelling at the time, so it was an online test over Zoom. I was given a scene on the spot to read, and I believe my director Danish Renzu decided to cast me after that reading.
The accent and body language must have taken a lot of doing. How much prep went into Noor Begum?
It took a lot of back and forth between Danish and me to decide what the character needed physically. He wanted her to have an accent to reflect the socio-economic background she came from. Had she spoken Urdu, she would have had a heavy accent. I was hesitant—it’s always a toss-up because you risk sounding caricature-ish. It was a scary choice, but I’m glad I tried. I’d rather err than not attempt it at all.
You’ve never taken the easy road as an actor. How much of a struggle is it for a rule-breaker to keep her head above water in this cutthroat industry?
Actors are at the mercy of someone else’s imagination, so we’re limited by what we’re offered. Within that, my baseline has always been—“does it excite me?” That’s been the driving force behind most of my choices. It also helps that being on set is the end in itself for me, not a means to an end.
It has been a good seventeen years in films. Do you feel OTT platforms have given your talent a wider audience?
Yes, definitely. OTT has been a shot in the arm for so many actors and technicians. I’m grateful for the opportunities it’s brought me. It felt like a reaction to the limitations of box office-driven writing. Many of us who weren’t in the Friday box-office race got noticed then. OTT changed my career for the better.
How difficult is it to date a mainstream actor and be thrust into the limelight when you clearly don’t enjoy the attention?
I think I’m doing pretty well for an introvert.
As someone who has seen the industry dispassionately, would you advise hopefuls from outside to try their luck?
Depends on what kind of luck one is seeking. If you’re anything like me and your joy begins and ends on set, then every day you’re employed will feel worthwhile. It’s not easy, and rejection is part of the course—but resilience pays off more often than not.
What are you working on now?
I have two films and a show lined up for release. I start shooting a series this November, which I’m very excited about. Alongside that, I continue to make music and tour with both my bands—Madboy/Mink and Ullou.
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