Aditi Rao Hydari (Hindi: [ədɪtɪ ɾɑːʋ ɦɛːdɾiː]; born 28 October 1978) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films. She made her acting debut with the Malayalam film Prajapathi (2006), and gained early recognition with her performances in Delhi-6 (2009) and Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), the latter earning her a Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Hydari's subsequent roles include the musical drama Rockstar (2011) and her first leading role in the psychological thriller Murder 3 (2013). She appeared in the action-thriller Wazir (2016) and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical drama Padmaavat (2018), one of the highest-grossing Indian films of that year, for which she won the IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress. In South Indian cinema, she played the female lead in Mani Ratnam's Kaatru Veliyidai (2017), for which she won the SIIMA Award for Best Female Debut – Tamil, and starred in the Telugu romantic drama Sammohanam (2018), earning the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu.

Her later work includes Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (2018), Sufiyum Sujatayum (2020), Maha Samudram (2021), and appearances in Hindi anthologies and web series such as Ajeeb Daastaans (2021), Jubilee (2023), and Heeramandi (2024).

Aditi Rao Hydari was born in Hyderabad to Ahsan Hydari, an engineer, and Vidya Rao, a classical singer trained in the thumri and dadra traditions of Hindustani music. Both her parents belonged to the nobility of the erstwhile Hyderabad State. Her paternal grandfather, Akbar Hydari, served as the Prime Minister of Hyderabad, and her grand-uncle, Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, was the Governor of Assam. On her mother's side, her maternal grandmother, Shanta Rameshwar Rao, was the founder of Vidyaranya High School in Hyderabad and chairperson of the publishing house Orient Blackswan. Vidya Rao is the step-daughter of Raja J. Rameshwar Rao, the last ruling Raja of Wanaparthy, one of the prominent feudal estates under the Nizam's dominion. Filmmaker Kiran Rao is her maternal first cousin.

Adit's parents separated when she was two years old, and she was raised by her mother in Hyderabad and Delhi. She studied at Rishi Valley School, a residential institution run by the Krishnamurti Foundations, and later graduated from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi. Exposed to the classical arts from a young age, she began learning Bharatanatyam at age five and later trained under renowned dancer Leela Samson. Aditi uses both of her parents' surnames, Rao and Hydari.

Hydari began her career as a Bharatanatyam dancer, having developed an interest in the art form through her association with dancer Leela Samson from the age of 11. She became part of Samson's dance group, Spanda, where she taught students and performed across India and internationally in stage productions.

In 2004, Hydari completed work on her first film project, Sringaram, in which she played the lead role of a 19th-century devadasi (temple dancer). The Tamil film was directed by Sharada Ramanathan and produced by Bharatanatyam dancer Padmini Ravi. Hydari was cast after Ramanathan saw her perform at a dance conference and reportedly noted her resemblance to classical dancer Shobana. The film was screened at several international film festivals during 2005 and 2006 and received critical acclaim in India, winning three National Film Awards. Although it had a limited theatrical release in October 2007, reviews were positive. One critic noted, "The film has brilliant acting from the lead, Aditi Rao."

Her first theatrically released film, however, was the Malayalam-language Prajapathi (2006), in which she starred opposite Mammootty. She was recommended for the role by actress Suhasini, and director Ranjith cast her after contacting her through cinematographer Madhu Ambat, who had worked on Sringaram. Hydari portrayed an orphan who falls in love with the protagonist, though her role was described as minor; a Rediff reviewer commented that she "has nothing to do with the overall plot."