Despite a predictable start to her acting career in a superhit television soap opera, Aashiqui Tum Se Hi, Radhika Madan chose a very different growth path for herself, discreetly choosing each role with an eye of an experienced artiste. It’s the thrill of getting to live different lives that got her into the acting profession and Radhika’s living her dreams by becoming part of films that have very different tales to tell. After an impressive debut on the big screen with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Pataakha in 2018, Radhika has been seen in interesting roles in a variety of films including Vasan Bala’s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota and Monica, O My Darling, Homi Adajania’s Angrezi Medium, and more recently, Shiddat and Kuttey.
This year, her class acts in sports drama Kacchey Limbu and the web series Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo have been much appreciated by the audience. But the high point is bagging the best actress award at the recently-concluded UK Asian Film Festival for her upcoming film Sanaa. This intense film by Sudhanshu Saria, which had its global premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, follows the story of a headstrong and ambitious Mumbai girl, who’s raging against an internal battle that’s rooted in unhealed trauma.
A young millennial with over 3.5M followers on Instagram, who adore her as much for her eclectic and edgy sense of fashion as for her powerhouse performances, Radhika bares it all about Sanaa, her acting process and her other upcoming films including Soorarai Pottru’s remake co-starring Akshay Kumar, Happy Teacher’s Day and Rumi Ki Sharafat.
You just won the award for Sanaa at UK Asian Festival. Did you anticipate such a response?
Of course, we didn’t expect it -- we only wanted to share our film with a wider audience. But the response we got was really overwhelming. We got a lot of hugs; we shared a lot of tears and we shared each other’s experiences and it was such a collective emotion in the room felt with the audience. That was more special to me and the award was the cherry on the cake.
It was the toughest role for me to crack so far and the closest to my heart and I can’t wait for the world to see it.
We loved how you channelled so much sass in Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo…
It was so exciting to shoot the series and collaborate with Homi Adajania, who is such a joy. The way he empowers women it’s a treat to be on that set and just be surrounded by some amazing actors and veterans like Dimple Kapadia. She is so humble and a masterclass in acting. It was overwhelming that Kachhey Limbu too released after a while and people appreciated me for playing two varied characters from different age groups.
What lessons did you pick up in your journey as an actress?
To be patient -- patience is the key and you cannot rush into things. Nobody can deny I came from nowhere, living in the city alone and it has been such a beautiful journey for me. It completely changed me as a human being -- I have become more empathetic, more sensitive and my family sees that difference and they are like ‘Wow! What a change in you’. The projects and the people I’m collaborating with are making me grow as a human. The other lesson is just trusting your gut and jumping into the pool of uncertainty, going for what scares you the most because that’s where growth lies. So, I am actually looking for projects that scare me the most and make me think about how the hell I’m going to do this.
Hailing from a non-filmy background, has the struggle been more than the Nepo-kids?
I think I am more of a ‘what I have in me, and what do I have in my favour’ kind of person. I am very much aware of the other side of it but I don’t indulge in it. I just look at what I have, and I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities and give my all to them. I would never trade my journey with someone else’s and I’m extremely proud of my journey and what it has transformed me into.
What inspires you?
Seeing the world with a different pair of eyes really excites me. I like thought processes and perspectives which are really different than mine. Anyone around me, right from my house help to my driver, to my friends, family and management, is a protagonist in their own story and I like listening to their stories of struggle and keep making mental notes of them. I try to be non-judgmental and receptive to different thought processes.
Do you believe in method acting or are you a spontaneous actor?
That depends from project to project. I love my prep time and I don’t want to deny that the more days you give me the better it is. I like sitting with my director and going deep but it also shifts from genre to genre. I feel comedy comes out really well if you are not over-rehearsed -- spontaneity really works there. So, for films like Feels Like Ishq and Rumi Ki Sharafat, you can’t be over-prepared – you just need to trust your instincts and go with the flow. But projects like Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo, Sanaa and even Kachhe Limbu need deep preps and I gave as many days as I could to find that character. During Kacchey Limbu, I prepped for 3-4 hrs every day for 3-4 months. I needed to learn how to spin and it was such a joy revisiting childhood and learning how to spin.
Do you ever feel like doing theatre?
Any medium works for me if the script is great and exciting enough to scare and challenge me. I am just happy to live a different life on any medium.
I ask myself this question how I’m going to do this? If that question pops up and it is exciting, I just say yes. I also avoid repeating a character and try to offer something new to the audience every single time. I remember after acting in Pataakha I was offered many village girl characters and at that point, I said no because I became an actor to live different lives. So, I just waited for Angrezi Medium to come, so that I can break that image. Later I broke that kid’s image too by doing a film like Shiddat or even playing a Godmother like Didi in Ray. I like breaking the moulds that people put me in by trying something new.
Your upcoming projects?
It’s a really special project and working with Akshay Kumar and Sudha has been great. I learnt a lot of things. Happy Teachers Day is with Nimrat Kaur and it has a social message while Rumi Ki Sharafat is in the comedy genre and sees me in a new avatar.
Your fashion choices?
Like films, in fashion too, I love experimenting a lot. I like to wear different silhouettes; colours and I don’t stick to one thing. I even tell my stylist to try and find different silhouettes or colours for me and what I wear depends on how I am feeling on that particular day or what the occasion is. I love all colours and I don’t stick to one colour or designer label. I love the language of every designer and don’t mind trying their designs. So, I’m pretty much open when it comes to fashion.
Your diet and fitness regimens?
I am a vegan for a few years now, and the journey of turning into a vegan has really changed my life. My thoughts have become clearer, I feel way lighter and my body shape has changed. I have become way more energetic too. I eat a variety of veggies, fruits, seeds, and legumes and start my day with sattu shakes. I have chole, rajma and daal and I am no longer fearful of carbs. I found the right balance and I only go for clean ingredients. I avoid refined oil and white sugar and instead, go for cold-pressed oils like coconut or mustard and replaced sugar with date jaggery.
I have opted for different fitness regimens for different films, I have done martial arts, swimming, aerial Yoga, cross-fit and weight training. I love shifting gears and switching it up and doing things that challenge my body. One thing that I practise daily is Kriya Yoga and it has changed my life. I do it every single day and the rest of the exercises depend upon the kind of character I am playing.