Saba Azad reveals her relationship with actor Hrithik Roshan affected her professionally, says, "basically lost a whole career that I absolutely loved"

Saba Azad with Hrithik Roshan

Saba Azad, a renowned singer and actor, has recently opened up about how her relationship with Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan has affected her professional life, particularly her career in voice-over work.

Known to many for her talents in acting and singing, Saba has also lent her voice to several advertisements over the years. However, misconceptions related to her high-profile relationship have resulted in significant setbacks in this aspect of her career.

Saba Azad with Hrithik Roshan

In a series of Instagram stories, Saba revealed that it had been years since she last had the opportunity to do voice-overs. She shared her frustration, recounting a conversation she had with a reputed director. When she asked why she was no longer being called for voice-over work, the director's response left her "completely boggled." He implied that her relationship with Hrithik Roshan was the reason, as people assumed she wouldn't be interested in voice-over jobs anymore. This assumption was based on the notion that she didn't need to work due to her relationship with a successful actor.

Saba recalled how, at one point, she would do six to seven voice-overs a month, but these opportunities gradually dwindled to nothing. This shift occurred despite her never saying that she was quitting or increasing her fees. The misunderstanding that she no longer needed to work because of her relationship with Hrithik Roshan led to a significant professional setback.

In one of her Instagram stories, Saba explained, "I just couldn’t help myself and straight up asked him - 'hey man I’m curious why don’t you guys call me for VOs anymore? What happened?' and what followed has my mind completely boggled." The director responded by saying, "oh we just thought you wouldn’t like to do something like a voice-over anymore… given," leaving her to infer the rest. She expressed her disbelief and frustration over this mindset, highlighting the patriarchal and regressive thinking behind it.

Saba continued to share her thoughts on the matter, questioning, "Are we really still living in the dark ages where we assume a woman in a relationship with a successful partner no longer has to put food on her own table? Or pay her rent and bills? Or take pride in her work and take care of herself and her family?" She emphasized the importance of individuality and independence in a relationship, stating that strong, independent individuals do not give up their identities or careers when they come together.

Despite these challenges, Saba made it clear that she has not quit voice-over work. She continues to be passionate about it and is open to new opportunities. She urged those in the industry to "undo your assumptions and let's get recording already." Her plea to the industry is a call to action to reconsider their biases and offer her the work she loves.

Saba also pointed out the broader implications of such assumptions. Losing a whole career because of someone else's presumptive ignorance really hurts, she noted. She added, "For the uninitiated, when two strong independent individuals come together they don't give up their identities or this lives and careers to do so. They hold on to their individuality and share from a place of freedom and strength."

Saba's relationship with Hrithik Roshan has been in the public eye for some time, with the couple making their relationship public. Hrithik, previously married to Sussanne Khan, and Saba, who was dating Imad Khan before, have faced scrutiny from the media and public. Saba's revelation sheds light on the professional difficulties that come with being in a high-profile relationship, particularly for women in the industry.