May 08, 2026 7:00pm IST
Sadia Khateeb: ‘I Will Not Sell My Soul for ₹100 Crore’ (EXCLUSIVE)
With “Daadi Ki Shaadi” starring Kapil Sharma, out today, Sadia Khateeb steps into the comedy genre for the first time. Khateeb has been part of the industry since 2020 – appearing in three films, each time in a different genre: “Diplomat” (thriller) with John Abraham, “Raksha Bandhan” (drama) with Akshay Kumar and “Shikara” (romance) opposite newcomer Adil Khan.
Khateeb isn’t worried about her slow progress, nor is she in a hurry to be successful. Unwilling to compromise on the “rules” she has set for herself, she adds, “My non-negotiable since day one have been only one thing. That I don’t want to be in a film where I’m objectified.” She admits that she wants to be successful, famous and earn money, but wants it on her terms.
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It’s all about conviction. Even before signing her first film, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “Shikara,” she says she knew the kind of films and roles she wanted to be a part of, “I am very clear. I will do films that have some sort of meaning and some sort of connection. I would never do a film I don't like. It has to give me something.”
Unfazed by the diminished opportunities headed her way as a result of that decision, “I don’t want to be in any space, where I don’t feel respected or where I feel like I’m being objectified. These are two non-negotiables. Since day one.”
When it comes to ambition and success in the industry. Sadia Khateeb admits she doesn't feel the pressure surrounding box office milestones and financial validation, “There is no one that I have to go back and prove anything to, except myself. What will happen if I get ₹100 crore right now? I’ll still eat the same food. I’ll still be with the same people. Yes, I desperately want ₹100 crore, but that won’t change the way I live my life.”
She adds that success would not fundamentally alter her sense of self and how she functions, “I will not sell my soul for that 100 crore. I will work my hardest. I will put my best to make those crores. I will give my all in terms of effort. But I will not do anything which I’m not comfortable in, which I don’t accept, which I don’t resonate with.”
For the actor, ethics are not restrictions, they are identity. “We all have our set of morals, which we sometimes call limits,” she concludes.
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