The Diplomat: John Abraham kept distance from co-star Sadia Khateeb on set; Actress reveals 'I would see him from behind...'

In a recent interview, Sadia Khateeb shared that she and John Abraham avoided off-screen interactions while filming The Diplomat. She also opened up about shooting intense assault scenes and more.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 30, 2025 | 02:30 PM IST | 16.5K

Sadia Khateeb in The Diplomat via IMDb

Trigger Warning: This article includes references to domestic violence.

Sadia Khateeb, who made her Bollywood debut with Shikara and later starred in Raksha Bandhan, recently made waves with her performance in The Diplomat, headlined by John Abraham. The actress played the role of Uzma Ahmad, a woman trapped in an abusive marriage in Pakistan who seeks refuge at the Indian embassy. The film, inspired by real-life events, offered Khatib the opportunity to showcase her range and depth, and she shared insights about her experience in a recent interview.

Speaking to Mid-Day, the actress revealed that she and Abraham deliberately did not interact much off-screen while filming to maintain the intensity of their on-screen relationship. Since her character was supposed to be intimidated by John’s character, JP Singh, they kept their conversations minimal.

“John Abraham made me feel very comfortable. But the fact that my character was supposed to be intimidated by JP Singh, he made sure that we didn’t interact in the beginning as much as co-stars usually do,” she shared. “I would see him from behind, and he would give me a glance. We would not talk. I would always smile about it. But then I understood why.”

In her conversation with the outlet, Khateeb also spoke about the challenges of filming certain sequences, especially those depicting domestic abuse. She reflected on a moment when she choked for real during an assault scene with her on-screen husband. The actress recalled coughing profusely in between takes and raising her hand to make her co-actor stop. Though he did not get the clue, luckily, an AD did, who intervened in time and offered her water and other help. Despite the physical and emotional toll, she felt that the rawness of those moments contributed to the film’s impact.

Khateeb also touched upon her lone journey in Bollywood while her contemporaries got backing from their reputed PR firms. She said she realizes every artist has their own path in the industry. “Even if somebody has a fully fledged PR, they have more pressure also from the legacy that they carry. I’m still learning to figure out, honestly,” she explained.

Khateeb acknowledged that though she desires to be popular like others, she has to take a different approach toward her work because of her background. She expressed that navigating Bollywood without a management team means her journey will take longer, but she takes comfort in knowing that every step she takes is truly her own.

Despite the challenges, we can vouch for the fact that Khateeb has proven her talent in The Diplomat, which is currently playing in theaters near you!

If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, or NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.