As she marks 20 years in the film industry, Radhika Apte has revisited some of the most unsettling experiences from her early career, speaking candidly about the sexism she faced across film industries. Despite having far greater control over her choices today, the actor admitted that memories from those years still leave a lasting impact.
‘I’m never going to work with them’
In an interview with Screen, Radhika revealed that she walked away from several high-profile Hindi film opportunities after realising the environment was not one she wanted to be part of. “I didn’t do too many big Hindi films where this happened. There were some offers that came to me, and I went to meet them. When I realized, I said I’m never going to work with them. They’re awful people. Very big people. If I start putting names, you’ll be like, ‘Whaaat?’ But yeah, not working with you guys,” she said.
‘I did South films because I really needed money’
The actor shared that financial constraints led her to take up South Indian films in the late 2000s, a decision that exposed her to another set of challenges. “Then I did some South films because I really needed money,” Radhika said, recalling that some of those sets were deeply uncomfortable for her.Detailing one incident, she said, “Some of the films that I did, I had a really difficult time on those sets. I remember there was this one time, where I was the only woman on set. We were shooting in this small town. They wanted to add more padding on my bums and breasts. They were like, ‘Amma, more padding!’ I said, ‘How much more padding?’ (laughs). How much rounder would you make somebody?”
‘I was the only woman… no manager, no agent’
Radhika described the isolation she felt on those shoots, with no support system around her. “I was the only woman! I had no manager. I had no agent. My team was all men because they’d given me the role. They said, ‘No, you’re not allowed to get your own team,’” she recalled.She added that sexism on set ranged from casual misogyny to direct control over her appearance. “The sexism started from cracking lewd jokes about women on set to adding more padding on my body. I’m giving you the extreme example of literally telling you what your physicality needs to be, with no women around you,” she said.
‘I never want to be put in that situation again’
Though known for being outspoken, Radhika admitted that those experiences were deeply traumatic. “I’m usually quite brave, but my heart still skips a beat thinking about those days. I never, ever want to be put in that situation again because I’ll cry. It was actually traumatic. I wouldn’t want any woman to be in that position,” she said.She also expressed concern about the continued portrayal of women in mainstream cinema, adding that she finds it “disturbing” how women are still depicted in many big-budget films today.
‘Women in power won’t make the change’
Radhika clarified that the blame does not lie solely with men. “There are so many women in such powerful positions who can make the change, but they won’t. And I find that deeply disturbing,” she said.She concluded by admitting that she struggles to align herself with many people in the industry. “It’s difficult to align with a lot of people in the film industry because I don’t even know where they stand politically,” she added.Radhika Apte was last seen in Tisca Chopra’s directorial debut Saali Mohabbat, co-starring Divyenndu. The film is currently streaming on ZEE5.
