What Endures Beyond Love

Saba Azad and Imaad Shah find rhythm where romance once lingered

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Saba Azad and Imaad Shah have been friends and 'creative co-conspirators' for over a decade now. The duo met for the auditions of Delhi Belly (2011), which they believe went well despite neither of them landing the part — but what it did do was make way for a friendship that has seen the highs and lows of being part of the independent music scene in India, a live-in relationship that didn't work out, and now a deep-rooted friendship built on 'unconditional support'.

The duo spoke to The Hollywood Reporter India about the unique dynamics of maintaining a creative partnership post-romance. Shah mentions how he helped Azad navigate sudden public attention when she started dating Hrithik Roshan, while Azad discusses being Shah's constant cheerleader for his prolific but often unreleased work, nudging him to put himself out more.

From cooking together to touring the length and breadth of the country with their band, from taking each other's audition lines on Zoom to being each other's sounding boards, they believe they became much better friends after they broke up.

Edited excerpt from the conversation.

THR India: What is your earliest memory of meeting each other?

SABA AZAD: We met at an audition for Delhi Belly. We had to do a scene together, which was incidentally a graphic scene. That broke the ice immediately, but neither of us got the part.

IMAAD SHAH: But later, I was working on a musical [based on "The Wall" by Pink Floyd] in New Delhi, and we needed someone to play a part. Somebody in our team reminded me of her and I contacted her. The musical fell through and again, we lost touch. Then, she directed a play and called me.

THR India: What was your first impression?