Actor Adil Hussain, whose film '52 Blue' is set to be screened at the London Indian Film Festival running from 9 July to 19 July 2026, has recalled his experience working alongside the late legend Sridevi on 'English Vinglish' — a collaboration he describes as a masterclass in creative humility.

A Giant Who Never Acted Like One

Hussain remembers 'English Vinglish' as his third Hindi-language film, making it all the more remarkable that he found himself working alongside an actor who had approximately 300 films to her name at the time. Rather than the distance one might expect from a star of that stature, Sridevi actively sought collaborative input from her co-stars.

'My fondest memory would probably be her humility to ask an actor to work together, to do a scene — she would suggest something and I would suggest something, and say, ‘Oh, can we do it this way?’. She would go, ‘Yeah, let’s do it this way’. She was always ready to improvise,' Hussain said.

Defying Bollywood's Feudal Hierarchy

Hussain was candid about the culture that typically governs the Hindi film industry, describing it as a deeply entrenched feudal and hierarchical system where established stars and newcomers rarely engage as creative equals. He noted that Sridevi stood as a pointed exception to this norm.

'There is a huge feudal system, you know, a hierarchical system that we follow — stars are stars and newcomers are newcomers, there is no dialogue happening. I’m not saying that is always the case, but that’s the case most of the time. But here, I’m a newcomer in the film world, and then I’m working with a giant, as accomplished as Sridevi, and there she comes and consults, we consult each other to see if we can do a scene a particular way. It was very open communication with her for the greater good of film,' he said.

52 Blue Heads to London

The occasion for Hussain's reminiscence is the upcoming screening of his film '52 Blue' at the London Indian Film Festival, one of the most prominent platforms for South Asian cinema in the United Kingdom. The festival is scheduled from 9 July to 19 July 2026, and the inclusion of '52 Blue' marks a notable moment for the film on the international circuit.

Sridevi's Legacy Beyond the Screen

Sridevi, who passed away in February 2018, is widely regarded as one of Indian cinema's most transformative performers. Her return to the screen with 'English Vinglish' in 2012 — after a gap of roughly 15 years — was celebrated as one of the decade's most anticipated comebacks. Hussain's account adds a lesser-known dimension to her legacy: that of a collaborator who used her extraordinary standing to level the creative playing field rather than reinforce it.

As '52 Blue' prepares for its London outing, Hussain's reflections serve as a reminder that Sridevi's influence extended well beyond her performances — shaping the working culture on set for every actor fortunate enough to share the frame with her.