Richa Chadha
Richa Chadha is one of the most vocal voices among the new crop of Indian actors but she says it almost never happens that an artiste lands a role that aligns with their personal values. The 34-year-old actor, however, said she is in a place in her career where she can take up certain concerns she has about a project with the makers.
"It's not necessary you get work that matches with your value system... If you get a role like that, it is good but that's a very rare thing. It's a blessing if it happens.
"But there should be at least this much liberty where one can ask for changes. For example, if a dialogue you feel is vulgar, you should be able to speak up. It almost never happens that you get to play a role that is similar to your personal values," Chadha told PTI in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.
The actor, known for powerhouse performances in "Masaan", "Gangs of Wasseypur" and "Fukrey" film series, said her aim is to explore different types of roles in her filmography.
"I just want to see what all roles I can play and fit in. For me, if the film is set in a particular zone, I would want to be featured on its poster, such as 'Section 375'...
"If you're an outsider, it takes some time for you to find your footing in the industry. That's what happened with me and now I'm getting to do the kind of work I always wanted to do. I'm very happy," Amritsar-born Chadha said.
In the age of social media, with outspokenness also comes vitriolic outrage, but the actor emphasised she doesn't pay heed to a "manufactured" activity like trolling.
"Some news channels that have their own agenda will write something rubbish, the two of their bots will comment on that and then the same channels will take those comments from the bots and say 'netizens say this and that'. So I understand this game quite well.
"Trolling is a manufactured, cheap activity which involves one or two hashtags. Why pay attention to it? I don't think it overshadows my work. If does, that would make me a terrible actor."
The actor is currently looking forward to the release of "Shakeela", the eponymous biopic on the popular Malayalam adult star.
Directed by Indrajit Lankesh, the film narrates the rags-to-riches-to-rags story of Shakeela Khan, who ruled the South Indian cinema of the '90s through several adult films in languages spanning Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
Also starring Pankaj Tripathi, "Shakeela" was scheduled to be released earlier this year but was delayed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Chadha, who stars in the titular role, said she is happy about the film releasing on Friday.
"I had gone to the theatre to watch 'Tenet' because I love the cinema experience. But that doesn't mean everyone would go. Having said that, beyond a point I can't hold back the director and producers from releasing the film because it's their investment. There's not much one can do."
Earlier this year, the actor was seen in the sports drama "Panga" and was busy shooting amid the lockdown for Amazon's anthology "Unpaused", which released last week, and "Cargo" director Arati Kadav's upcoming sci-fi short "55km/sec".
"I tried to enjoy lockdown as much as possible and use it for personal growth. I love it when I get challenging things to do. It doesn't happen often that you get to experiment a lot. Arati's film has been shot completely virtually. There was zero human contact. She left a hard drive related to the film at my house's main gate and directed the film remotely."
Chadha and her "Fukrey" co-star Ali Fazal were set to tie the knot in April but the wedding was postponed due to the pandemic. Asked about an update on the ceremony, she said they cannot make plans "until there's a vaccine".
"Last time, we made plans and everyone knows how it went. We have to be careful. If family and friends won't be there, the wedding would be no fun."
Chadha has a full calendar for 2021 with films like "Madam Chief Minister", Anubhav Sinha's "Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai", and the third season of Amazon Prime Video series "Inside Edge" expected to be released next year.
She will also start working on "Fukrey 3" in the new year.
