Hyderabad, Harry Potter’s Padma Patil is coming to town

The Pottermaniacs in the city have a reason to rejoice. Afshan Azad, the English-Bangladeshi actress, who played the Indian-origin witch Padma Patil in Harry Potter film franchise is set to visit Hyderabad for the upcoming Comic Con. And the actress is looking forward to soak up the city’s vibe. “I can’t tell you how excited I am about my Hyderabad trip. Since I’ve very little time in the city, I don’t have anything planned yet.But I am keeping my fingers crossed, that I will get some time out to go out and enjoy the city’s culture,” she enthuses. Hyderabad Times caught up with her for a quick tete-a-tete. Excerpts:
Do you ever get tired of being recognised as Padma Patil from Harry Potter?
Absolutely not. I’m flattered and even honoured that people still remember me as Padma! I’ve not really done much after Potter for me to be recognised as anyone else, so I’m fine with it, but I can totally understand why actors would get annoyed, especially if they are trying to move away from certain characters they play.
In your case, however, you have not done much after the Potter franchise. Does it mean you are done with acting?
I always say, never say never to acting. I know the door is always open for me to go back into the game, but there are other things I want to try while I’m still young. Presenting, on and off stage, really appeals to me, so I’d love to do something with that. I get hounded to start an online channel, so I’m in the process trying to sort that out too. I want to make the content and the production perfect for my fans, so I’m taking my time to get it all right.
Honestly, I never even imagined that I would actually be acting one day. It was my first audition in school, my first casting, and so the whole process was so new to me. When I got the part, I had to rethink my whole life! So yes, it did change my life in a way. I’ve been blown away by it all to be honest. I wouldn’t be here without me going to that first audition.
How was life on the sets of Harry Potter? Was there ever any friction, or was it bonhomie all the way?
Life on set was a blast. We were all were of the same age and everyone got along. It was just like hanging out with all your friends on the coolest sets in the world.
I was pretty close to everyone on set. Bonnie, Katie, Dan and Scarlett. To be honest everyone got on so much. We were all together, literally night and day, so it would be hard not to get along with everyone. The most memorable moments with everyone were definitely the moments off set, which is better left unsaid! Ha! We all made friends for life.
I remember my last day as a blur. Everyone knew it was the last day and we were preparing weeks in advance. A lot of tears were shed, but we all knew we would stay in touch over the years, which we have. But ultimately, we all also knew that it was the end of an era.
How has life been post Potter?
I had to move to London during the filming, which meant I was away from home for most of my childhood. Since being back home in Manchester now, I’ve loved spending time with family and friends, away from the Potter ‘bubble’ we got sucked into. I’m still trying to figure out where my heart lies but I’m traveling, dabbling in little projects here and there, and may have a few exciting things in the pipeline!