In Bollywood and the world, it's always exciting to be Radhika Apte.?
Initially, a poster?girl for regional, indie and art-house cinema, Radhika Apte proved through the years that she is equally exceptional at doing Marathi, Telugu, Bengali, Hindi, and English films. But that's not it. Apte's prime powers are not just limited to acting.?The actress has even made her smashing directorial debut with a short film titled The Sleepwalkers that was declared??''The Best Midnight Short Award'' at Palm Springs International Short Fest, giving us yet another reason to be in awe of her.?
Radhika Apte's rise in celluloid needs to be celebrated in more ways than one and definitely more than we do right now.? What is noteworthy is how Apte never had the spotlight on her in her early cinematic appearances but back to back incredible performances landed her straight into the wishlist of some of the most prominent filmmakers. But what has capitulated Radhika Apte's rise as one of the most dependable actors is that she is terrific at her craft and wants little to do with fandom, a trait only the rare possess in Bollywood.?
Below, you will discover a few reasons why we are rooting for Radhika Apte and how she has formulated her own trajectory straight to the top and in our hearts.?
Here is an actress who just wants to act. It doesn't matter if it's a short documentary, a web-series, one episode in a show or a full feature film, Radhika Apte just wants to be in front of the camera and live all her dreams of being an actress. That's why her work transcends across genres and languages, something we can't say for most mainstream Hindi cinema actresses. Some of her most notable work ranges from and is certainly not limited to are:?National Award-winning Bengali movie?Antaheen?(2009),? Tamil film?Lion?(2015), theatre acts?Uney Purey Shahar Ek?(2013) and?Garbo?(2009) and for Hindi cinema Padman (2018) and Badlapur (2015).
Can you think of any performance of Radhika Apte where she hasn't performed well? I can't. I have long pondered on this question and never arrived at an answer. Whether it was her small stint in Andhadhun (2018) or Bazaar (2018), it's impossible to not be pleased with seeing Radhika Apte act. Yes, we can argue that she might have been a part of films that did not do well commercially or critically but when we focus on Radhika alone, it's impossible to think of a performance where she hasn't bared her soul for us.?
One of the paramount reasons why Radhika Apte is such a breath of fresh air especially in Hindi cinema is because she has declared to anyone who will listen that she detests fandom. In a 2017 interview with Times of India, the actress spoke about how acting is meditative for her. She derives the maximum happiness from doing a great project and not because she will be famous for it.?
"It gives me so much happiness to do a good project. It¡¯s not the fame ¡ª I absolutely detest it, I don¡¯t like to be recognized! I don¡¯t like the?taam jhaam. This field requires a certain kind of lifestyle, for you have to make enough money to sustain yourself, so as long as you can do that, it works. Other than that, the only reason I am here is because I get pure happiness from it," said Radhika Apte.
?There's a conscious decision behind Radhika Apte's choice to openly flout industry rules and that's because she doesn't want to be a star. Maybe that's why we have never seen her make public appearances, take up endorsements or take part in an extensive promotion or PR campaign. The minute that camera stops rolling, Radhika Apte is just another girl madly in love with her musician husband?Benedict Taylor and her life between Mumbai and London.?
"I¡¯m not sure if I want to be or even can be a star,¡± she says, weighing her words carefully. ¡°It involves a whole bunch of things like doing a lot of PR, public appearances, endorsements, and so on. That whole life is, right now, beyond comprehension for me. I would want to experience all these things, sure, but I honestly don¡¯t know how far I¡¯d be able to do it," Radhika Apte told TOI.?
Clearly, we have found ourselves an actor in Radhika Apte and now its worth celebrating every bit of her. Maybe because she's rare. Or more because she dares to be real.