Saba Azad: My parents have never pressured me to marry

ACtor Saba Azad is in no haste to go into Bollywood’s formal boxes. “I’m greedy as an doer. I the likes of parts where I have to apply myself,” she says, adding: “Playing someone who lives in a city like me isn’t that far from who I am. But being a part of someone’s journey, stepping into their world—that’s what excites me. That’s the kind of role I can really sink my teeth into.”For Saba, the pull toward complex characters has always been stronger than the lure of formula-driven success. She describes herself as someone who thrives on challenge, whether it’s stepping outside her linguistic and cultural comfort zones, or embodying women whose strength and resilience mirror her own instincts. “I love women who own their territory, who are fearless about claiming their space. There’s something powerful about that kind of energy, and it’s something I enjoy channeling on screen.”While the 39-year-old is focused on expanding her filmography, she also acknowledges the intense curiosity surrounding her personal life. Saba whose partner actor Hrithik Roshan, often faces questions about wedding plans. Yet, she says, how she grew up in a family where marriage was never the ‘be all and end all”.“At the age of six, my parents say me down and said, ‘Beta you never need to get married if you don’t want to. We don’t have any expectations from you.’ So, no I have never felt any pressure from my family about how to live my life,” she tells us.Last seen in Songs of Paradise, Saba also opens up about often being typecasted. “I often get boxed into urban characters. People ask me, ‘Can you even speak Hindi?’ And I’m like, ‘Of course I can!’” she laughs. “It’s always a challenge to break out of stereotypes. So when a director imagines you differently, it’s a gift,” shares Saba.Adding how the struggle against typecasting is one most actors face, and Saba who was last seen Songs of Paradise is no exception. “An actor’s life is really at the mercy of someone else’s imagination. You’re dependent on someone to think of you in a certain role, and sometimes the work you want isn’t what comes your way.”Ask her if the commercial aspect of a projects makes her pick them, Saba disagrees, as her says: “I was born into theatre, and theatre doesn’t pay. There’s no money in it, so you really have to love the craft to keep going. It’s never been about success for me. If a story moves me, I’ll do it. For me, it’s about passion and the possibility of reaching people with something meaningful. Stories matter because they remind us of our shared humanity.”