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‘I’M NOT SATISFIED AT ALL’
Radhika Apte aims to surpass this eventful year with better projects
Actor Radhika Apte’s 2018 has only looked up and up. Box-office success? Check. Critical acclaim? Check. Great roles? Check. One might think she’d allow herself a little smug smile, a moment of feeling satisfied. But no; she has just gone and set the bar higher for herself.
The actor says, “I don’t think I’m satisfied at all. I want to go far beyond this. This is just the beginning, and a lot more has to come.” Looking back, she says, “I didn’t anticipate that all my six projects would release within a year. (The film) Pad Man, I had presumed, would be a big success, given the content. (The web series) Sacred Games, I was hoping would be a big success, since I knew that we invested in something really good. With (the web anthology and show) Lust Stories and Ghoul, I was slightly nervous, as both were unconventional; but I’m happy that both were successful. (The recent film) Andhadhun, to be honest, I never anticipated (to be a hit). We knew we were making something good. I enjoyed being a part of the filmmaking process — it was fun.”
So, did she really have to step out of her comfort zone with all the roles? Radhika says, “I don’t compare my different characters. But if I have to choose comfort, then I was most comfortable in portraying my characters in Lust Stories and Andhadhun. Pad Man and Sacred Games were not in my comfort zone. In Pad Man, restraining myself was very challenging. I had to [strive] to be convincing in a role opposite of who I am.”
Does she feel she has finally got her dues in the industry? The Badlapur (2015) actor says, “It’s not about due. I’m very grateful that all my projects have done really well, even critically.” About aspirations, she adds, “Dues and all, I don’t know, but [concerning] the amount of work and the kind of work I want... there’s a lot more I’m looking forward to. I’m waiting for more opportunities to come my way.”