‘I don’t think this moral policing is necessary’

Radhika Apte is being appreciated for her act in her latest web outing, Lust Stories. The actor, who has two other web shows and film projects in her kitty, is among the early ones to have embraced the digital platform. In a quick conversation, Radhika talks about compliments, choices, and pay disparity. Excerpts:

Was it your foresight that made you take up the right projects on the web, considering its growing dominance?

Honestly, I’ve never had a strategy. And that has worked for me. If something comes my way, and if I like the content, I do it. And if I trust some people, then I’d just do it anyway. If Anurag Kashyap or Sriram Raghavan tells me there’s a script, I’d do it. I have complete trust in them.

There’s less censorship on the web. Does it help storytellers?

It makes such a huge difference. [The web] doesn’t make you feel that you can’t do this or that. It doesn’t mean you want to use 100 abusive words... you just feel free and can express things the way you do in your normal lives. I don’t think this moral policing is necessary. If something can start a conversation, then that is the idea.

While we speak of the change for women in terms of opportunities, is remuneration still an area of concern?

I don’t think it has reached where it should. We talk about numbers for A-listers. But they’re not even 5% of the entire cast of a film. With the rest of the cast, there’s a huge, ridiculous disparity. I think there needs to be a more transparent and streamlined system.

What about the opinion that it’s the stars who pull in the boxoffice numbers?

But that’s true. If a person is bringing ₹200 crore and if another is bringing ₹50 crore to the table, then, of course, the person who’s getting ₹200 crore [business] should be paid more.

I’m not saying everyone should get similar amounts of money. But, if two people who’re playing the mother and the father in a film and are equally talented and known, and have the same number of days invested in a film, why should there be a pay disparity there?

Radhika Apte has another web show coming up