“I want to do an out-and-out comedy film” – Sadia Khateeb

Born and brought up in Bhaderwah, a small town in the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir, Sadia Khateeb had never dreamt of making a career in the movies. While pursuing a course in electrical engineering, Sadia got the opportunity to play the lead role in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘Shikara’ (2020) and that led her towards pursuing a career as an actor. After being in the business for five years and featuring in three mainstream films, Sadia cannot imagine doing anything else in life.

When you see Sadia on the screen, you realize the actor performs with a certain ease and natural flair that is very rare and special. It has been a little over a month since her film ‘The Diplomat’, directed by Shivam Nair and co-starring John Abraham, hit the theatres and the young actor continues to receive a lot of love from the audience. Most of the reviewers, too, have spoken highly of her performance. The film is based on the experiences of Uzma Ahmad, a woman who trapped in difficult circumstances and trying to get back to her motherland, in the film.

Director Shivam Nair did not allow John and you to meet till the time you were doing a scene together. Did you meet the real-life Uzma as a part of your preparations for the film?

No, I did not. Shivam sir had a very specific vision. He wanted the interactions and the equation between Uzma and JP to feel as real as possible. He expected us to be intuitive and spontaneous. That’s why he didn’t us to know each other. Neither I met John nor did I have the chance to interact with Uzma before the shoot. Shivam sir thought if I met Uzma before the shoot, I would lose the essence of the character. He wanted everything to look natural.

A couple of days ago, the official YouTube channel of T-Series, the studio which has backed the film, dropped a video which featured a conversation between Shivam, John, Uzma and you. What kind of feedback did you receive from Uzma after the release of the film?

I haven’t spoken to her after the film’s release. When all of us sat down for that conversation, only the trailer had come out. She had liked the trailer. I hope to speak to her soon and hear her thoughts on the film.

In the film, one sees you in a plethora of emotionally charged scenes. Which was the most difficult scene to shoot or perform as an actor?

The Buner sequence was very difficult to shoot. It was a difficult situation for Uzma to be in. When you see the scene while watching the film, you feel disturbed and experience a sense of sorrow for what she is going through. While reading the scene itself I was quite traumatized. Shooting it was extremely tough.

You have been a big fan of John Abraham since childhood. How was the experience of sharing the screen with him for the first time?

It was surreal. I couldn’t believe that I was working with my most favourite actor. My only childhood dream was to meet Kabir (the character Abraham played in ‘Dhoom’) one day. I never thought I would get the opportunity to work with him so early in my career. It was wonderful working with the entire team. Sharib sir is a fantastic actor and a wonderful human being. I have such great memories of interacting with Kumud sir. Everybody treated me with a lot of love and warmth on the sets.

You are not a trained actor and yet, when one sees you on the screen, one sees you performing with utmost confidence and a natural flair. In an interview, you have stated that you are very intuitive as a person. Which are some of the other traits which, you believe, help you as an actor?

I don’t think it’s me doing anything. I firmly believe my God is doing everything. I can’t take credit for doing something I have no knowledge of. My God is helping me with everything. I have the ultimate faith in my creator. I have not learnt acting. Some guiding force must be making me act. Since I know I have no contribution to it, I can’t take any credit for it.

You moved to Mumbai on July 31, 2017. You thought you will work on your debut film for 3-4 months and then, move back to Bhaderwah. You have spent almost eight years in Mumbai. How would you sum up this journey?

A lot of patience was required to go through this journey. I didn’t plan too many things and accepted life the way it happened to me. I still feel my journey has not started. I don’t think I have arrived as yet. When I look back at my journey in Mumbai and in this industry, I feel it has been beautiful.

You have had three releases in five years. You have said once that it takes just a few years for people from the outside just to understand the industry. Do you feel the industry should have given you more opportunities in the last few years?

You can only hope for things to come your way. People often ask me why I didn’t get enough opportunities but I don’t have an answer to that. I guess the industry takes some time to recognize talent. I couldn’t speak for myself. I have always wanted my work to speak for me. Sometimes, it takes years for the right kind of work to come to you. One day, you look back and realize you have been here for a while. I believe talent is not bound by any time-based restrictions. I might get recognized tomorrow. If that does not happen, I will know that God has different plans for me. I believe I don’t have any limits as an actor. I am looking forward to take up more challenging and diverse roles.

While one has mostly seen you in intense roles so far, you are somebody who has been a fan of commercial comedy films. Is that a space you would like to explore in the near future?

Yes! I want to do an out-and-out comedy film. While growing up, I didn’t get to watch a lot of films but I was always a big fan of comedy films. Right now, many people might feel that I might not be suitable for such films as they have seen me doing serious roles. However, I strongly believe I can carry it off very well. I am a very funny person in real life. That is my core. At the end of the day, I want to be known as a versatile actor and explore all genres.