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Actor-musician Aditi Saigal, popularly known as Dot, who stars as Ethel Muggs in Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies, shares her thoughts on friendship as we celebrate International Friendship Day today. For Saigal, friendship is a space free from judgement and for intelligent conversations.
When reflecting on what friendship means to her, Saigal says, “It’s hard to define friendship because it can mean so many things. I look to each of my friends for different things. A friend could be someone you can be silly with but also someone who you can be sad with. Someone who is there through the easy stuff and the difficult. Above all, I think friendship is a space without judgement.”
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On Friendship Day, the 25-year-old plans to video call two of her closest friends, as they are both currently in different cities. When her friends are in town, Saigal shares, “We usually spend time together at someone’s place and catch up with each other over drinks.”
Who are Aditi Saigal’s closest friends?
Saigal’s closest friends include Shibangi and Aksha. She reveals, “My friend Shibangi and I grew up in Delhi together. She’s Bengali, so every year during [Durga] Pujo she used to take me to her society to eat puchkas. Later, when we became friends with Aksha in Mumbai, we extended this ritual to her and it has become a kind of tradition.”
Saigal continues, “Shibangi and I have known each other for over 10 years. Our mums are best friends, so that is how we met. Then Aksha covered one of my songs on Instagram, so I met her online. Soon we became inseparable.”
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‘My friends are like cats’
When asked if her friends have ever complained about not spending enough time with them, Saigal replies, “I don’t think that ever happened. My friends are like cats. They like it when I am around but don’t complain if I am gone. We all lead very separate lives, so we appreciate the moments we get to spend time together.”
Saigal emphasises that she values friendships where she can truly be herself. She states, “I don’t care if my friends are loud or quiet or funny or caring or whatever, as long as I can be myself in front of you.” She says that the only thing she wants from a friendship is “non-judgemental space”.
‘You just need to be yourself’
For those looking to make friends in the indie music scene and Bollywood, Saigal offers this advice: “The indie music scene is an extremely welcoming place in India. So, I’d say just come for gigs, be yourself and you are sure to make good friends. In terms of the film industry, I think you just need to be yourself. People get a little lost sometimes trying to network too much.”
Also Read: Friendship Day 2024: Ideas to celebrate the special day with your best mate
A song about friendship
Saigal acknowledges the impact friendship has had on her personal and professional growth. “There have been times when I’ve had to really be there for a friend, which shaped my ability to listen. Professionally too, since a lot of my friends are artists and musicians, I end up collaborating with them regularly,” she says.
Saigal has even written a song about friendship. “I’ve written a song called ‘Girls Night’ about Shibangi and Aksha and our little dates. It’s a fun pop track, and we shot a music video for it with our friend Hawwa who directed it,” she concludes.
