Sadiya Siddiqui looked back to work with: Aishwarya Rai in the 2005 film Shabd, recalling how the actor remained composed and professional despite going through one of the most tumultuous phases of his personal life after his publicized separation from Salman Khan:.Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Sadiya said: Aishwarya: He never let his personal struggles affect his work on set, portraying him as fully prepared and committed to his work.Aishwarya and: Salman: fell in love while shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s blockbuster Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and soon became one of the most talked about couples in Bollywood, with marriage speculation doing the rounds. However, in 2002, Aishwarya confirmed that the relationship was over, saying that Salman was finding it difficult to come to terms with the separation. The controversy escalated in 2003 when actor Vivek Oberoi, who was briefly linked to Aishwarya, held a widely-discussed press conference alleging that Salman had threatened him over the phone. Aishwarya later married Abhishek Bachchan in 2007, while Salman Khan remained single.
“He hid it so well”
Asked if she noticed Aishwarya’s emotional turmoil on the sets of Shabd, Sadiya said she did not see it reflected in the actor’s work.“Actually, I didn’t have a single scene with Aishwarya, so I never got close enough to know what she was going through. I never knew her personally,” he said.However, he added that from what he observed, Aishwarya remained remarkably calm.“But from what I’ve observed, he hides it very well. He’s always completely prepared, knows all his lines, reads the script carefully and works with absolute professionalism. I don’t think he let his personal life affect his work. “
“He is very professional”
Sadiya went on to praise Aishwarya’s preparation and dedication to her character.“He read the script a few times and would talk about how the play was a scene and the psychology of his character. I was so excited to meet him for the first time,” he recalls.Recalling her first impression of the actor, Sadiya said, “I still remember seeing him standing there in jeans and a shirt and thinking, ‘He’s really handsome.’ It was a great experience.”He added that Aishwarya looked “amazing” in Shabd and credited cinematographer Aseem Bajaj for capturing her beauty on screen.
Sadiya remembered Sanjay Dutt unique process of movement
Sadiya, who also shared screen space with Sanjay Dutt in Shabd, recalls an interesting behind-the-scenes moment from their first scene together.“My first scene with Sanjay Dutt was in the kitchen. Before the shot, I asked him, ‘Shall we do the lines?’ Leena Yadav came to me and said, ‘You have created your own line. He doesn’t feel comfortable rehearsing.'”He admits that he was surprised at first but soon realized that every actor has a different working style.“It was the first time I’d heard that. Some actors just don’t open up to another actor. Maybe that’s how they are at work. I’m a very private person. It takes me time to trust people, but once I’m on set, it’s my job. Some actors already know exactly how they want to perform and prefer that you focus on your own preparation. The scene worked well in the end.”When asked about reports that Sanjay sometimes uses cue cards for his dialogues, Sadiya said, “Not in the scene I did with him. It never occurred to me. Could it be otherwise? I don’t know.”
About Shabd:
Released in 2005 and directed by Leena Yadav, Shabd starred Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai and Zayed Khan in lead roles. The psychological drama revolves around a writer whose obsession with his fictional story begins to blur the lines between imagination and reality.