Audiences in Calcutta first met her as the feisty Brinda Rao in Antaheen. Over the years, she has impressed in Bollywood (Shor in the City, Rakht Charitra), Marathi films (Lai Bhaari) and Tollywood (Rupkatha Noy). But it is with back-to-back successes in Badlapur and Hunterrr that Radhika Apte is being talked about as a go-to girl for Bolly. t2 caught up with the 29-year-old film and theatre actress on the past, present and future.

With Badlapur and Hunterrr, Radhika Apte has become the Bolly talent to watch out for...
Thank you! It’s been quite overwhelming that I have had back-to-back films that have not only been praised critically, but also made some money because economics is very important in the business we work in. But then again, you know, these highs don’t last for a very long time and I think that phase is over now and I have plunged headlong into work and I am looking forward to doing some more good cinema. I am doing some films that I believe will explore the actor in me further and I am looking forward to some more exciting work coming my way.

You’ve been singled out for praise in both these films. Is there any feedback that has been a little more special than the rest?
A few big filmmakers, who I have always been a fan of and admired their work, got in touch and said that they wanted to meet for some projects. [Radhika won’t take names, but PK and 3 Idiots man Rajkumar Hirani called her ‘outstanding’ after watching Hunterrr.] Plus, there were so many people from the industry who came out of the screening of both the films, saying all good things. When you wake up the next morning, these are the kind of things that stick (smiles). But there has also been a little bit of criticism here and there, which I have taken constructively.

What is it about Koko in Badlapur and Trupti in Hunterrr that made you want to play them?
For me, it was the relatability. As an actor, the moment you can relate to your character in some way, your job becomes easier. Of course, in Badlapur it was initially difficult to relate to the character because it is a pretty warped situation and you go like, ‘Wow, that’s very interesting.’ I haven’t been in a situation like that, but I could relate to the character. Similarly, Trupti in Hunterrr is a very real person.

In our commercial cinema, we have very stereotypical parts for women... in fact, even for the men. Those parts are very difficult to relate to because it’s a dream world in which these characters live in... all beautiful, cute and dressed up (smiles). The more real a role, the more exciting it is for me. They are just normal everyday people like you and me and it’s just so interesting to explore them in terms of how they walk and talk and react.

With women taking centre stage in so many of our films, do you think this is the most exciting phase for a female actor?
I think so. But to be honest, even a few years ago, a few of my contemporary actor friends did get recognition, like say, Richa Chadda or Huma (Qureshi). I think the last few years have been good for people like us who are not from the industry per se and don’t really fit into the blockbuster, commercial kind of cinema. We are getting meaty roles to play now even when the films don’t revolve around the women. I think it’s a good sign for us.

You started out with regional films, you took a break for a year to study dance in London, and now you’re focusing on Bollywood. Given a chance, would you undo anything?
Not really. I am pretty happy about how things have turned out. The year in London was the best time of my life... I studied dance, something I am so passionate about. I feel I came back with more focus. Before leaving for London, I still wasn’t sure whether acting is what I really wanted to do, even though four of my Hindi films had released that year.

But Bollywood is known to have a short memory. Wasn’t it a case of out of sight, out of mind after you came back?
Oh yes! When I came back, it took me some time to make headway because not only was I away for a full year, but a lot of new people had also come in during the interim. It took me a couple of months to just start meeting people again and then a little bit of work started coming in.

So is patience the key to surviving in this business?
Oh god, patience is the first thing you need! (Laughs) This business keeps testing your patience at every turn. Whether you are an actor, director or just about anyone in the movie business, your CV should have that one thing: patience! (Laughs) There’s just so much waiting around in this business –– you are waiting for work to come in, you are waiting for people to give you appointments and when you land a film, you are just waiting for your shot!

Did that course in dance contribute to the actor in you?
I am sure it did. Any kind of training or any kind of experience helps you as an actor. Besides giving me focus, I think it’s just enhanced my expressions and the way I react to the camera.

You were recently quoted saying you will not do ‘song-and-dance roles’. Do you think it’s a realistic stand to take in Bollywood?
I’ll tell you what exactly I said. I was asked whether I would do an item number and I said that if the purpose of the song is just to get a woman with big boobs to show skin in the film and lure in an extra audience, then that is not my idea of cinema. But if it is a great song and I am getting to do a nice choreographed piece, then why wouldn’t I want to do it? I also said that in Omkara, Bipasha (Basu) had a lovely number sung by Rekha Bhardwaj (Namak ishq ka). If it’s a song like that, I would jump at the opportunity.

If tomorrow, you are offered a huge project opposite one of the three Khans, but with very little for you to do, would you want to be a part of it?
If it’s a Khan film or a Ranbir Kapoor film, I wouldn’t definitely be saying ‘no’ to it. But my idea of a big film with the potential to do Rs 100 crore or more in business, would be, say, a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, which has so much for its women characters to do. Maybe it isn’t counted as a huge film when you compare it to Hindi films, but my Marathi film Lai Bhaari, opposite Riteish Deshmukh, is a  [Rs] 100 crore earner. It broke all the Hindi film records when it was shown on TV. When I did that, I realised that doing such films is also such a lot of hard work. I was like, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t be underestimating this’. It was a huge learning experience and no way would I write it off. Of course, my inclination is more towards the kind of meaty and meaningful roles I have done so far, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t try my hand at the other kind of cinema. After all, we have all grown up watching that kind of cinema.

You’ve done films in Bengali, Tamil and Telugu, among others. Will regional films now take a back seat for you?
I am not really sure, but if something really interesting comes up in regional cinema, I will do it. Till now, whatever regional films I have done, I have been very choosy. The first film I did in each industry happened after I said ‘no’ to many films. Even in Bengali, I have been offered many films, but I have done only three –– Antaheen (directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and co-starring Rahul Bose), Rupkatha Noy (directed by Atanu Ghosh and starring Soumitra Chatterjee) and now a short film with Soumitra Chatterjee, directed by Sujoy Ghosh. In Marathi, despite it being my mother tongue, I have done very few films.

You recently spoke out on your bad experience working in Telugu films. How was it working in Tollywood?
I have done just three films there so I really can’t comment on the industry in general. Antaheen was a lovely experience. I stayed in Calcutta for two-and-a-half months for the film. In that time, I made some wonderful friends. I discovered so much of Calcutta –– I literally walked the city from north to south. I could speak Bengali so well at the time. Rahul, Aparna Sen and Tony (Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury) made me so comfortable. The roads of Calcutta became so familiar.

And then I worked with Soumitra Chatterjee, who has such a childlike enthusiasm for his work even now. His energy is like that of a child. When I was in the same frame as him, I would forget to act and just keep looking at him! (Laughs)

RADHIKA’S UPCOMING FILMS
1. Manjhi: The Mountain Man: Radhika plays Phaguniya, the wife of Dashrath Manjhi, whose death because of lack of medical aid makes the real-life hero cut through a mountain for 22 years to make a shorter road to reach a hospital. Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays Manjhi in this Ketan Mehta film.
2. X: Radhika stars in one of the 11 shorts directed by 11 directors that all intersect at a given time and place.
3. Parched: She stars as one of four women in the Gujarat heartland who are unapologetic about sex, even as they take on the men who try and suppress them. Teen Patti maker Leena Yadav directs this crossover film.

Priyanka Roy
Radhika Apte is the Bolly talent to watch out for because.... 
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