'Shivaay' debutante, Sayyeshaa Saigal is feeling the pressure of living up to grandparents Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu's legacy as date of Diwali release inches closer
Sayyeshaa
Sayyeshaa
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Sitting in the lobby of a plush Juhu hotel, Sayyeshaa appears like any other teenage girl. Dressed in denims and a beige top, she greets us with a broad smile. Grand niece to Hindi cinema legends Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu, she makes her Bollywood debut in Ajay Devgn's Diwali release, 'Shivaay', a film is set to clash with Karan Johar's next, 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'.
Sayyeshaa had just completed her IB in Science (with 97 per cent marks, shall we add) when she signed Shivaay two years ago. "Ajay sir liked my photographs and I auditioned for him. I enacted a couple of scenes and was finalised for the role," she recollects. Since Shivaay was delayed, she took up a Telugu movie in the meantime and has recently signed a Tamil film.
With a grand legacy to live up to, Sayyeshaa is keeping her fingers crossed as the release date inches closer. "The only insecurity I have is whether people will like me. I don't have an alternate career option. So, 'Shivaay' has to work for me," she says, adding her legendary grandparents "loved" the film's trailer.
"They are looking forward to watch the film. I feel blessed to have them whenever I need advice. Sitting with them and talking about movies is like attending a masterclass. My favourite Dilip Kumar film is Mashaal (1984) and as far as Saira Nani goes, I loved her in Purab Aur Paschim (1970). If the latter is remade, I would like to reprise her role," she says.
Her parents, actors Sumit Saigal and Shaheen Banu, separated when she was two, but she is equally close to both of them. "I stay with my mother, but my father visits me everyday. I was too young when they decided to part ways, but they have always been available. They have constantly guided and supported me."
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