Exclusive: Behind the scenes with Saba Qamar

I had spoken to Saba Qamar several times over the past decade. We had spoken when she was in India, filming for Hindi Medium; when she landed the nomination for that role; when she signed up for Baaghi and most recently, for an exclusive I was writing on Mrs & Mr Shameem. I also remember trying to contact her when Irrfan Khan passed away, eager to capture the emotions that she inevitably would be going through. I was told she had cocooned herself away and was not talking to anyone.

Naturally, I was excited for this interview, my first one on one with Saba Qamar. We were meeting under the umbrella of Ghabrana Nahin Hai promotions but I had requested and had been confirmed a slot for a solo too. The interview is up and you can watch the 43-minutes heart to heart for details on everything she spoke about, but here’s what the camera may not have captured.

Unlike the diva you may expect her to be, Saba is so punctual and disciplined that you can set your clocks to her timing. She was dot on time, all smiles as she sashayed down the PC Lobby, stopping for selfies with fans and posing for endless pictures. I had forgotten my notebook in the car and had stepped out of the conference room when I met her and she immediately commented on my choice of colour: “I just love white; we’re so well-coordinated,” she beamed as she met me.

We eventually settled down for the interview, in which she did happily respond to all the questions I asked. She spoke about her projects, her personal space, her career before and after Hindi Medium and how that film had changed her. She shared insights to her growth, both personal and professional and said that she may still be headstrong and opinionated but she was no longer erratic. She had worked hard to find and maintain inner peace. I was delighted that she gently gave me a green signal to touch upon her love life, something I would never do unless acknowledged and cleared before the interview. She gave me a scoop and promised we would pick up where we left: how to detox abusive relationships and when you find ‘the one,’ the sense in keeping one’s love life private.

We only had an hour, so it was impossible to squeeze almost two decades of work in that time, but we managed to get quite a lot on record. I hope you enjoy watching this interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it…