Radhika Apte birthday special: Times when she was unapologetically herself
Talk about a modern-day natural actor and Indian movie buffs will surely take Radhika Apte's name. With her roots in theater, Apte has never restricted herself to any kind of role, language, or medium. But an actor is not just about acting in our country, right? They become fodder for gossip and controversy. But birthday girl Apte has never entertained these, staying unapologetically herself.
We're very curious about "bold" scenes in movies, especially if these get leaked before the release of the film. Back in 2016, two such scenes featuring Apte were leaked online—from Anurag Kashyap's Clean Shaven and Leena Yadav's Parched. A reporter had asked her then if "creating such controversies and doing bold scenes was necessary to become successful." Naturally, Apte got angry and retaliated aptly.
Responding to the journalist, Apte said, "As an artist, I'm required to do a certain job... People who are ashamed of their own bodies have curiosity about other people's bodies. If you want to see a naked body, look at yourself in the mirror tomorrow."
Sadly, netizens seem to remember and get offended only by nude scenes onscreen and not the subject matter. Hence, even in 2021, Apte's lovemaking scene from Parched went viral (again), inviting #BoycottRadhikaApte trends. People thought the scene was "anti-Hindu" and "against our culture." What did the Antaheen... actress do? The 36-year-old kept uploading glam pictures on Instagram, simply ignoring the meaningless uproar online.
Netizens aside, Apte has had to deal with entitled co-stars, too. Back in 2018, the Sacred Games actress revealed she slapped a co-star on the sets of a Tamil film. "It was my first day on the set and a famous South actor started to tickle my feet. I was stunned as we'd never met before and I instinctively slapped him," she said. Well done!
So we've all heard "Radhika Apte is to Netflix India what Sooryavansham is to Set Max channel" jokes. But did you know Apte actually teamed up with Netflix India to hilariously address the situation? Titled, Omnipresent, the barely two-minute-long video was about Apte playing just every character on the film. While their sportsman spirit is hugely appreciated, I won't mind it turning into reality.
