Actor Saba Azad might be making headlines lately for her relationship with actor Hrithik Roshan, but one can’t overlook the work that she has been doing on various mediums. The Rocket Boys actor says she’s “just starting out”, but none of what she does is by chance. “I came to Mumbai alone with neither friends nor relatives in the city, and I built all four of my careers from scratch.”

Apart from acting, Azad, 36, has three alternate careers. “I am a musician, I have a band, I am a playback singer and a voice-over artiste. I briefly ran and owned a bar and restaurant in Bengaluru. I hope to direct and make films of my own one day,” she says.

A creative soul, the multihyphenate, who hails from a family of academics and artists, modelled her stage name on her grandmother’s pen name. She says, “The name on my passport is Saba Grewal. My father is of Sikh origin and my mother of Muslim, but neither practised religion nor imposed their opinions upon me. Azad was my nani’s pen name. I liked the sound of it and the meaning of course. The want for freedom is the most human instinct. So (with her permission) I adopted it as my stage name.”

Azad, who describes herself as a “curious, permanently-amused, strong-willed, mildly-gifted, independent animal”, shares how her childhood shaped her up to be the creative individual she is today: “I’m from Delhi, and have had a very normal middle-class upbringing with a lot of cultural exposure. Theatre, cinema, dance, and music were a big part of my growing years.”

Ask her about the way her acting career has shaped up, Azad replies she is happy to be finally getting the kind of roles she always wanted. “I waited a long time to get the kind of roles that require me to apply myself. I am thankful for the kind of projects coming my way lately… I just completed an independent film titled Minimum, Rocket Boys season 2 is on its way, and I’m shooting another indie [film] in Srinagar as we speak.”

Azad further adds, “I have enjoyed being a part of the indie music scene and I have had my fair share of acceptance as an actor. I feel lucky to be able to balance multiple careers and enjoy them all equally. Getting paid to do what you love is a blessing.”