Saba Azad

{{Short description|Indian actress, director and musician (born 1985)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Saba Azad

| image = Saba Azad at the Audio release of 'Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge'.jpg

| caption = Azad in 2012

| birth_name = Saba Singh Grewal{{Cite web |title=This Sikh Actress With An Islamic Name Explaining Her Religious Belief Is A Slap On The Face Of Extremists |url=https://www.indianwomenblog.org/this-sikh-actress-with-an-islamic-name-explaining-her-religious-belief-is-a-slap-on-the-face-of-extremists/ |website=IWB |first=Lavanya |last=Bahuguna |date=27 March 2017 |access-date=1 May 2022 |archive-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519111819/https://www.indianwomenblog.org/this-sikh-actress-with-an-islamic-name-explaining-her-religious-belief-is-a-slap-on-the-face-of-extremists/ |url-status=dead}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1985|11|1}}{{Cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/saba-azads-blog/birds-of-then/ |title=Birds of then |website=The Times of India |date=19 December 2011}}

| birth_place = Delhi, India

| height_m =

| years_active = 2008–present

| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|musician|voice artist|theatre director}}

| partner = {{ubl|Imaad Shah (2013–2020)|Hrithik Roshan (2022–present)}}

| relatives = {{ubl|Safdar Hashmi (uncle)|Sohail Hashmi (uncle)|Shabnam Hashmi (aunt)}}

}}

Saba Azad (born Saba Singh Grewal, 1 November 1985) is an Indian actress, theatre director and musician. She is one half of Mumbai-based electro funk duo Madboy/Mink. She made her Bollywood debut as one of the leads Raaga in the indie film Dil Kabaddi (2008).{{cite news |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Change-of-Scene/396302/ |title=Change of Scene |last=Chakrabarti |first=Paromita |date=10 December 2008 |work=The Indian Express |accessdate=24 December 2012}} She is known for her leading role in the romantic comedy film Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge (2011).{{Cite web |title=When Saba lost her tresses! |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/when-saba-lost-her-tresses/story-aIzaSFuEiQ4rktSNLX6TAP.html |date=13 October 2011 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |access-date=20 May 2020}} She also played the role of Dingo in the 2016 Y-Films web series, Ladies Room.

Early life

Azad was born in Delhi to a Punjabi Sikh father and a Kashmiri Muslim mother. In an interview, she said that she was raised with both cultures and religions.{{Cite web |title=Mongrel me |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/saba-azads-blog/mongrel-me/ |website=The Times of India |date=26 December 2011}} She is the niece of theatre great Safdar Hashmi.{{cite web |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mobile/report.php?n=1218157 |title=My uncle was my mentor |last=Doshi |first=Riddhi |date=1 January 2009 |work=DNA |accessdate=26 July 2016}} Born into a theatre family, Azad performed with Safdar Hashmi's theatre group Jana Natya Manch in their stage productions since a very young age, where she worked with Habib Tanvir, MK Raina, GP Deshpande and NK Sharma. She also trained in dance forms like Odissi, classical ballet, jazz, Latin as well as contemporary dance forms.{{Cite web |title=Saba Azad Blog |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/author/sabaazad/ |website=Economic Times Blog |language=en-US |access-date=20 May 2020}} Traveling with her Odissi guru, Kiran Segal, she performed in and outside the country including England, Canada and Nepal.

Her stint with cinema started after schooling when she landed a lead role in a short film Guroor for director Ishaan Nair which travelled to festivals in New York and Florence. She has since gone on to work in many short films.

Career

File:Saqib Saleem and Saba Azad at JAB TAK HAI JAAN premiere.jpg

She made her Bollywood debut in 2008 with Anil Senior's Dil Kabaddi opposite Rahul Bose. She appeared in a leading role as Preity Sen in Y-Films Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge opposite newcomers Nishant Dahiya and Saqib Saleem.{{cite news |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mujhse-fraaandship-karoge/1/155218.html |title=Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge |date=17 October 2011 |work=India Today |accessdate=24 December 2012}}

Azad is a popular musician and singer in the Indian indie music scene and one half of widely popular electronic band Madboy/Mink which she started with actor and musician Imaad Shah in 2012.{{Cite web |title=Introducing: The Quirky Sounds of Mumbai's Madboy/Mink |url=http://rsjonline.com/features/introducing-the-quirky-sounds-of-mumbais-madboymink.html |website=rsjonline.com}}{{Cite web |url=http://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/5-things-to-know-about-Madboy/Mink/articleshow/47549154.cms |title=5 things to know about Madboy/Mink}}

Azad started her own theatre company The Skins in 2010 and directed her first play Lovepuke which opened at NCPA's experimental theatre in September 2010.{{cite news |url=http://www.mid-day.com/whatson/2010/aug/310810-theatre-group-Skins-Production-play-love.htm |title=Falling in love (is hard on the knees) |last=Sharma |first=Aditi |date=31 August 2010 |work=Mid-Day |accessdate=24 December 2012}}

Azad moved to Mumbai from Delhi and acted in a two-man play directed by Makarand Deshpande staged at Prithvi Theatre.{{cite web |url=http://www.in.com/saba-azad/biography-621.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101055217/http://www.in.com/saba-azad/biography-621.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 January 2013 |title=Saba Azad Biography, Saba Azad Bio, Saba Azad Photos, Videos, Wallpapers, News |publisher=In.com |accessdate=30 June 2013}}

She has featured in commercials for Cadbury, Pond's, Maggi, Tata Sky, Google, Kit Kat, Vodafone, Sunsilk, Nescafe, Airtel as well as print campaigns for Clean & Clear, Westside and Amway and many more.{{cite web |title=Saba Azad |url=http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/author/sabaazad/ |work=The Times of India Blogs |accessdate=26 July 2016}}

Personal life

Azad was in a live-in relationship with Imaad Shah from 2013 to 2020. However they remain friends after their breakup and make music together for their band Mad Boy Mink.{{cite web |url=https://www.mensxp.com/entertainment/bollywood/101025-hrithik-roshan-mystery-girl-date-saba-azad-live-in-relationship-7-years-naseeruddin-shah-son-imaad-shah.html |title=Hrithik Roshan mystery girl date Saba Azad was in a live relationship for seven years with Naseeruddin Shah's son Imaad |first=Aakash |last=Kumar |date=2 February 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/were-saba-azad-and-naseeruddin-shahs-son-imaad-in-a-live-in-relationship-for-7-years-exclusive-scoop/articleshow/89280092.cms |title=Were Saba Azad and Naseeruddin Shah's son Imaad in a live-in relationship for 7 years? - Exclusive Scoop! |author=Vickey Lalwani |website=The Times of India |date=1 February 2022}}

{{As of|2025|post=,}} she is dating Hrithik Roshan.{{Cite web |title=Saba Azad makes relationship with Hrithik Roshan |date=12 May 2022 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/saba-azad-makes-relationship-with-hrithik-roshan-official-as-he-reacts-on-her-international-project-see-her-reply-101652346189311.html}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

!scope="col"| Year

!scope="col"| Title

!scope="col"| Role

! Notes

2008

| Dil Kabaddi

|Raga Malik

2011

| Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge

|Preity Sen

2012

|Strangers in the Night

|Rhea

rowspan="3" |Short film

2016

| Pure-Veg

|Anjali

2019

| Connected

|Saba

2020

|Home stories

|Vaishnavi

Netflix

rowspan=2|2025

| {{pending film|italic=no|Anurag Kashyap’s Untitled next}}

| {{TableTBA}}

| Filming{{Cite news |date=21 May 2024 |title=Sanya Malhotra & Bobby Deol begin shooting for Anurag Kashyap's next |url=https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/sanya-malhotra-bobby-deol-begin-shooting-for-anurag-kashyaps-next-66174.html |work=Filmfare |access-date=25 May 2024}}

| {{TableTBA}}

| {{cite web |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/saba-azad-teases-her-first-look-from-songs-of-paradise-calls-it-a-special-film-6109009.html |title=Saba Azad Teases Her First Look from Songs of Paradise, Calls it a 'Special Film' |date=6 October 2022}}

=Web series=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

!scope="col"| Year

!scope="col"| Title

!scope="col"| Role

!Streaming service

! Notes

rowspan="2"| 2016

| Ladies room

|Dingo

| rowspan="2" |YRF

Web series

Love Shots

|Preeti

Limited series

2021

| Feels Like Ishq

|Tarasha Ahmed

|Netflix

Anthology web series

2022

| Rocket Boys

|Parvana Irani "Pipsy"

|Sony LIV

| Biographical streaming television

2023

|Who's Your Gynac

|Dr. Vidushi

|Amazon Prime

| Miniseries

2025

|Crime Beat

|Maya Kapoor

|ZEE5

|Webseries

Discography

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" !scope="col"\| Year !scope="col"\| Album !scope="col"\| Title !scope="col"\| Co-singers
rowspan="2"\|2013 !scope="row"\| Nautanki Saala \| "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga" "Dil Ki Toh Lag Gayi" \| Geet Sagar, Bruno Carvalo, Santosh Sawant
scope="row"\| Dhoom Series \| "Dhoom Anthem" \| Raghav Sachar{{Cite web \|title=DHOOM Anthem featuring Saba \|author=YRF Talent \|via=YouTube \|date=25 December 2013 \|accessdate=26 July 2016 \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFHY8xBCWH8}}
2014 \|Madboy/Mink \|"All Ball" \|
rowspan="4"\|2015 !scope="row"\| Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! \| "Calcutta Kiss" \| Imaad Shah
scope="row"\| Shaandaar \| "Neend Na Mujhko Aaye" \| Siddharth Basrur
scope="row"\| Main Aur Charles \| "Dekhe Meri Aankhon Mein Jo" \|
Madboy/Mink \|"Union Farm" \|
rowspan="2"\|2018 !scope="row"\|Karwaan \|"Bhar De Hamaare Glass" \|
Madboy/Mink \|"Persons.Elastic.Superior.Fantastic (P.E.S.F)" \|
2019 !scope="row"\|Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota \|"Nakhrewaali" \|Karan Kulkarni
2023 !scope="row"\|Farzi \|"Sab Farzi" \|Amazon Web series
2023 !scope="row"\|Kho Gaye Hum Kaha \|"I wanna see you dance" \|Netflix original movie

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

!scope="col"| Year

!scope="col"| Album

!scope="col"| Title

!scope="col"| Co-singers

rowspan="2"|2013

!scope="row"| Nautanki Saala

| "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga"
"Dil Ki Toh Lag Gayi"

| Geet Sagar, Bruno Carvalo, Santosh Sawant

scope="row"| Dhoom Series

| "Dhoom Anthem"

| Raghav Sachar{{Cite web |title=DHOOM Anthem featuring Saba |author=YRF Talent |via=YouTube |date=25 December 2013 |accessdate=26 July 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFHY8xBCWH8}}

2014

|Madboy/Mink

|"All Ball"

rowspan="4"|2015

!scope="row"| Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!

| "Calcutta Kiss"

| Imaad Shah

scope="row"| Shaandaar

| "Neend Na Mujhko Aaye"

| Siddharth Basrur

scope="row"| Main Aur Charles

| "Dekhe Meri Aankhon Mein Jo"