Actor Sadiya Siddiqui has revisited her experience of working with Aishwarya Rai in the 2005 film Shabd, recalling how the actor remained calm and professional despite grappling with one of the most challenging phases of her personal life following her much-rumoured split from Salman Khan.
Sadiya Siddiqui on working with Aishwarya
Sadiya looked back at working with Aishwarya when she joined Siddharth Kannan for a video on his YouTube channel. According to Sadiya, Aishwarya never let her personal turmoil spill over onto the sets of Shabd. She recalled that the actor always arrived well-prepared, remained focused on her performance, and displayed professionalism in her craft on the set.
During the conversation, Sadiya was asked whether she could sense Aishwarya’s emotional turmoil on the sets of Shabd. To this, Sadiya responded, “Actually, I didn’t have a single scene with Aishwarya, so I never got close enough to know what she was going through. I don’t know her personally at all.”
However, she noted that, based on her observations during the shoot, Aishwarya remained composed despite the circumstances.
“But from whatever I observed, she hid it really well. She always came fully prepared, knew all her lines, had read the script thoroughly and worked with complete professionalism. I don’t think she allowed her personal life to affect her work at all,” she added.
She went on to praise Aishwarya’s preparation and dedication to her character. The actor said that she had read the script a couple of times and would discuss how a scene should be played and the psychology of her character. Sadiya admitted that she was very excited to meet her for the first time.
What do we know about Salman and Aishwarya’s bond
Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan reportedly met on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999 and reportedly split up by 2002. Aishwarya got married to actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007, while Salman remains unmarried. The actors have avoided speaking about each other. They last worked together in Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, which was released in 2002.
Salman and Aishwarya’s recent projects
Salman will next be seen in Maatrubhumi, directed by Apoorva Lakhia. The project was earlier titled Battle of Galwan and was said to be inspired by the real-life clash between Indian and Chinese forces in the Galwan Valley. However, reports suggest that the film has now undergone several changes, including a new title and revised storyline. The release date of the film has not yet been announced.
He has also locked an Eid 2027 release for his upcoming film with Nayanthara. Tentatively titled SVC63, the film will be directed by Vamshi Paidipally and produced by Dil Raju. The shooting for the project has already begun.
Meanwhile, Aishwarya was last seen in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2. For the film, she won the Best Actress in a Leading Role (Critics) award at the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) in Dubai. The epic historical action drama, directed by Mani Ratnam, was released in 2023. The actor is yet to announce her next project.
