Radhika Madan, a popular face from television, made a very smooth switch to the films and created a niche for herself through some unconventional choices. Her first film, Vishal Bhardwaj’s Pataakha saw her playing a girl from a small town in Rajasthan, the second release Vasan Bala’s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota saw her nailing action sequences and her third film, Homi Adajania’s Angrezi Medium saw her playing a dutiful daughter with a dream to travel and study abroad, and although she shared screen space with Irrfan Khan, she managed to hold her own successfully. Fresh off the release of Shiddat, a romantic saga that aims to unravel the madness, passion and pain that love brings, we catch up with the actress for a chat:
Q. Your film choices have been quite interesting. What is that you look for in a script?
I believe that films choose you and I have been really fortunate with the choices that have come to me in my journey, so far. I chose to be an actor to live different lives and that inclines me towards roles that are challenging, that are different from me and from one another.
Q. What excited you about Shiddat?
Kartika (the character)! She is very different from me because I am all heart. Kartika is very cerebral. She is very practical and has compartmentalised everything in her head. Understanding her and getting into her headspace was something that seemed very challenging and that excited me.
Q. You had told us in the past that Bollywood clichés are in your blood. So, what took you so long to do a romantic film?
I would not call Shiddat a Bollywood cliché. It is a very fresh take on a love story. We are living in times where love is just a swipe away, so what do you do when love stands in front of you in its purest form? How do you deal with that? And, are we even conditioned to deal with it? That’s what my character Kartika’s journey is about.
...and, what does true love mean to you?
True love for me is accepting the person wholly, with your heart and soul. It means accepting them not only for their strengths but also for their flaws, and ensuring that (we) both are growing with one another by healing the past wounds.
Q. You also did Ray and Feels Like Ishq on Netflix. Does the medium excite you? And, is there anything new that you have signed in this space?
There is a little fearlessness when it comes to OTT. People are willing to take a backseat and explore different subjects, characters, especially grey characters, which really excite me as a person. To be honest, I don’t think medium matters to me as much because I just want to live different lives to the fullest and with authenticity. And, yes, I am doing a web show with Dino (Dinesh Vijan) and Homi Adajania is directing it. It is very exciting!
Siddhat is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
heena@newindianexpress.com
Twitter/Insta: @heenakhandlwal