The beautiful and talented Sadia Khateeb is overwhelmed with the response to her latest film, The Diplomat. Yet, she continues to remain at the edge of her seat. She spoke about it and a lot more during an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama.
EXCLUSIVE: Sadia Khateeb talks about similarities between her The Diplomat co-star John Abraham and Raksha Bandhan co-star Akshay Kumar: “Both are GENUINELY true human beings”; urges filmmakers to cast her in Hera Pheri and Garam Masala-type comedies
How has life changed in the last 5 days?
I don’t know if life has changed for me (laughs). However, I am getting a lot of appreciation and love from people which I am still processing honestly. But life change nahin hui!
Did you go to cinema halls to check the audience reaction on the day of release?
No, I didn’t. I was in my bed the whole day. The entire day went by reading reviews. I also slept late as I was constantly on my phone (to check feedback). I didn’t have the guts to go out. But on Saturday, my producers texted me, insisting that I should visit cinema halls to check the audience reaction. On Sunday, I went only to see that the show was full. Actually, there’s a funny story. The film had started by the time I entered the screen. It was dark. I was given a seat. I went to sit but a lady sitting next to that seat didn’t let me sit. She claimed, ‘This is my seat’! I was going to reason that she should let me sit. But my friends were like ‘This seat is yours but let the lady sit. You have seen the film. Now let the audience see it too’! That lady obviously didn’t know that I was in the film.
Finally, I got a place to sit. When the film was over, my friends asked me to stand up and interact with the crowd. Half of the audience had left but I had no guts. My legs were numb. I was unable to turn back and see people’s reactions. I asked my friends to record the audience’s reaction. Finally, I got up and as soon as the audience realized who I was, they started clapping for me. I felt so shy but at the same time, I was like, ‘Damn, why didn’t I get up before’! But I was very nervous then. I am still very nervous. I just hope the film works big time and more and more people venture out to see it.
The Diplomat is based on the life of Uzma Ahmed. Last week, we saw a promotional video of you interacting with her. Did you meet Uzma during the shoot or before the film went on floors?
No, that was the first time I met her. I remember meeting her in front of the camera, in fact. My director (Shivam Nair) was very clear that I shouldn’t meet her or even read about her. He wanted me to follow the script. He liked my audition; he told me that it was intuitive and that he wanted me to play the role accordingly.
How was it working with John Abraham? Was he intimidating?
Not at all. He’s a lovely person. He makes you feel very comfortable. He’s exactly what you’d expect a friendly person or a genuine human being to be. He’s a sweetheart and was fully supportive during the shoot.
In your earlier film, Raksha Bandhan (2022), you worked with Akshay Kumar. How different and similar are he and John Abraham?
Their personalities were different also because of the kind of films I did with them. In Raksha Bandhan, I and Akshay sir played siblings. So, we were having fun. We would take each other’s case, pull each other’s leg and we also sat and ate together. In The Diplomat, it was all about Uzma being intimidated by J P and asking him for help. There was a distance that had to be maintained. So, our director made sure that we didn’t chill together or eat together. We only developed a bond when Uzma and J P got comfortable with each other.
Once the shoot was over, I realized that what’s common between them is that both are extremely and exceptionally talented. They continue to thrive even after completing 20-30 years for a reason. Their passion and hard work they put in is commendable. Moreover, both are genuinely true human beings. There’s no façade to their personalities. They are exactly how I perceived them when I was a kid watching their films.
Which was the most difficult scene for you to crack?
If you have seen the film, you’ll know that it was the Buner sequence. It was the last schedule of the film. My first day of the shoot was when I entered the embassy and asked for help. The last scene is when she gets molested and beaten up. These two scenes were very hard to crack as it was physically and emotionally challenging.
A lot of people pointed out that we don’t get to know who was there in Uzma Ahmed’s family back in India except her daughter. Even at Wagah border, its only the External Affairs Minister that comes to receive her and not her family members…
(Laughs) That’s a good point! She didn’t have a father; he had passed away a long time ago. She lived alone and hence (there was no one to welcome her). This is what I was told.
You shot for it The Diplomat way back in 2022. What was the waiting period like?
It was very tough. I was very impatient. I had very hard days and would pray that it would be out soon. But I guess everything has its own timing. To be honest, I didn’t expect that it would take so long for the movie to be released. I was hoping that it would be released a year after Raksha Bandhan (in 2023). Nevertheless, I kept my patience. I knew that I couldn’t do anything until this film came out. The opportunities are also fewer if you have not proven yourself. Hence, I decided to wait and pick quality over quantity. Now, I hope that things change for the better.
How has the industry reacted to your work in The Diplomat?
Milap Zaveri sir said some very good things. Mahaveer Jain and Neetu Jain also appreciated my film. Hence, the feedback has been very positive. However, my eyes are still on the box office collections. Many told me, ‘Your job is done. You’ve been praised in the reviews. You’ve got your due’. But my point is that if you want more opportunities and more doors to open, it’s very important for the film to be a huge hit. The more this film is watched, the more opportunities I’ll get. Hence, I am sitting on the edge of my seat and focusing on the numbers.
As they say in this industry, ‘kaam se kaam milta hai’. So. did you get The Diplomat because of Raksha Bandhan?
No. Raksha Bandhan had not been released (when I signed this film). It was another audition that I had given and that helped me bag The Diplomat. But I am tired now and really hope that kaam se kaam mil jaaye (smiles).
In all your three films – Shikara (2020), Raksha Bandhan and The Diplomat – your characters get married and then trouble begins for them! Did you realize this common factor?
(Laughs) No. You are the first person to say this to me. I swear ya – meri shaadi hoti hai aur problems shuru ho jaati hai. I guess it means that I shouldn’t get married in real life!
It would be interesting to see you in comedy; we saw that side, albeit briefly, in Raksha Bandhan…
I am not even close to Gayatri (her character in Raksha Bandhan), Uzma or Shanti (her character in Shikara). My core is actually comedy. I am today’s girl. I have grown up watching ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’, ‘Chikni Chameli’, ‘1 2 3 4 Get On The Dance Floor’ etc. It’s my fortune that I landed these roles. I had nothing to do with it. My sisters and my cousin often remark, ‘Why do you do such serious roles? We would love to see you in films like Hera Pheri and Garam Masala’. And I am seeking it quite desperately. It’s a matter of just one audition. I hope some filmmaker thinks of me in such roles as I am very sure that it’s my genre.
How do you look back at Raksha Bandhan?
I still get a lot of love for it. A lot of people comment that they cried during my death sequence. It was a beautiful journey of working on that film.
More Pages: The Diplomat Box Office Collection
, The Diplomat Movie Review
, The Diplomat Movie Review
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