‘DON’T WANT TO BE NEXT HEARTTHROB’

Says actor Richa Chadha; admits she’s far from competition and happy with her work

Actor Richa Chadha (right), whose recent release has been received well, says that she has never felt that she is part of the rat race in the industry. The 26-year-old says that she only compares her work to the work she has done earlier. “I don’t compete with anyone. I started with a film like Gangs of Wasseypur... who will compete with me anyway? Plus, I am not interested in being the next heartthrob. I see the long way that I have come, and I am only interested in that,” she says.

Talking about success, Richa says that she has a long way to go. “If I start feeling that I am successful, then I’ll stop working. For me, each film is different, and so is the effort I put in for each film. I feel this is very important for an actor,” she adds.

While there is a debate about the disparity in money paid to male and female actors, Richa says that this amount should be directly promotional to box office collection of one’s films. “I feel that it is stupid to pay people based on their gender. If they are paid according to the pull that they have in bringing the viewers in to watch their films, then it’s justified,” she says.

While many of roles in her films such as Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008) and Fukrey (2013) have been very different, Richa is glad that they have been loved. “I know I took a risk by playing those characters and I am glad that the risk has paid off. Also, I am lucky to get parts like these. I feel that this shows that female actors are more capable than what people think,” she says.