Exclusive! Sadia Khateeb reveals not interacting with John Abraham during The Diplomat: ‘We wouldn’t talk’

John Abraham, Sadia Khateeb Pic/AFP, Instagram

Actor Sadia Khateeb, who stepped into the acting arena with Shikara and Raksha Bandhan, made waves with her performance in The Diplomat alongside John Abraham. Sadia essayed the role of Uzma Ahmed, a Muslim woman who married a Pakistani man only to be assaulted and tortured. She manages to reach the Indian Embassy, where she seeks help from JP Singh, a skilled diplomat. In an exclusive interaction with Mid-day, Sadia shares her experience doing the film, her rapport with John Abraham, and more.

Sadia on working with John Abraham

Those who have watched The Diplomat have seen the intense one-on-one conversations between Sadia and John. However, the actor reveals that they deliberately did not interact off-screen to build that tension for an organic outcome. She shares, "John Abraham made me feel very comfortable. The fact that my character was supposed to be intimidated by JP Singh, he made sure that we don't interact in the beginning as much as usually co-stars do. I would see him from behind, and he would give me a glance. We would not talk. I would always smile about it. But then I understand why."

Sadia on filming the assault scenes

While the actor maintains that it was a difficult watch for her parents, she got choked for real while filming one of the scenes where she is assaulted by her onscreen husband. She recalls, "I remember I was coughing in between takes. I raised my hand and tried to hit him. Then the ADs understood that ‘She's not acting. She's actually choked.' Then they stopped, and we had water and everything. So, these are the moments that I think the makers really tried to build organically. Nobody likes to get beaten, right? But then when you see the film, when you see the outcome, it was worth it."

Sadia on her contemporaries with PR machinery

Sadia Khateeb, who does not hail from a film background, is unfazed by her disadvantage and believes that everyone has their own journey. She states, "Even if somebody has fully fledged PR, they have more pressure also from the legacy that they carry. I'm still learning to figure out honestly. I also want to be popular, but I cannot compete because my background is different. My approach towards work and integrity is different. I have my do's and don'ts. I come from a city which no other actor I know around comes from."

Sadia asserts that she doesn't have a management or agency to guide her. "Everything that I'm doing right now is God's help. It will take longer for sure than other people who have power along with them. But at least I know this is wholly my own journey and my Allah's help," she concludes.