I HATE THE ‘BOLD’ TAG: RICHA CHADHA
Says actor Richa Chadha about how the characters she plays do not necessarily have any semblance with her real life persona
Richa Chadha essays four diverse roles in her upcoming films. From a lawyer to a politician, the actor will be seen playing characters that she hasn’t attempted earlier. Talking about having had the opportunity to play a politician on screen, she says, “Politicians are also in the business of perception like movie stars. So, a girl who has draped on a sari may not necessarily want to wear it, but she knows that it will help her cause. Similarly, politicians are often clad in white kurtas to create a spotless and clean impression. This isn’t an intelligent observation, just an obvious one. Also, people who get a kick from power are very different from the rest of us. I just tried to internalise that.”
Does an actor’s off-screen personality also influence the film offers they receive? “Sometimes, it is a compliment and sometimes, it’s downright annoying,” says Richa about receiving appreciation for her performance while playing a bold and bada** character in the Fukrey series. “It’s like asking Gulshan Grover if he is a rapist in real life because he plays a bad man. Bholi (Punjaban) is uncouth and powerful. I loved playing Bholi because it is such an iconic character. But I have also played different parts such as the one in Masaan (2015), or a helpless part like in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela (2013) and Sarabjit (2016). Perhaps, people have a kink to see foulmouthed women on screen, and that is why they think that my real life resembles Bholi’s.”
However, Richa adds that her filmi characters have no connection with her real-life personality. “I am opinionated and forthright but that is me expressing myself as a citizen, which we all should be allowed to do. I hate the tag ‘bold’ because it is just a banal industry nomenclature,” says the Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008) actor.