Radhika Apte sparked debate by discussing a challenging Telugu film role where she married her uncle on screen, calling it patriarchal and difficult. Netizens speculated the film was 'Legend' with Balakrishna, while reactions ranged from praise for her candor to criticism over alleged double standards.
THE TELUGU FILM INDUSTRY has been under the microscope, especially after the Peddi controversy, which had the entire film industry talking about the way actor Janhvi Kapoor’s character was sexualised in the film. While the Ram Charan-starrer Peddi received widespread criticism over the portrayal of its female lead, actor Radhika Apte has also had her say, talking about her previous films in Telugu.
Apte dropped the tea while promoting her Netflix series Akka, alongside actor Keerthy Suresh, in an interview with Zoom. The interview covered topics ranging from trolling and body shaming to the pressures of the film industry in general. However, the conversation took a turn when Radhika Apte talked about one of the most challenging roles of her career, in which she had to marry her “mama (uncle).” The room erupted in laughter as she explained the premise of her character in the film without naming it. The clip from the interview has been making rounds on the internet. While some praised her straightforwardness, others slammed the actor, alleging double standards.
The actor did not name the person who played the role of her mama in the film. However, eagle-eyed netizens have speculated whether the Akka actor indirectly took a jibe at Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, popularly known as Balayya among his fans.
Radhika Apte was talking about one of the most challenging roles she had to portray on screen. “There was a Telugu film where I had to marry my mama (uncle),” Apte replied, and the room suddenly erupted in giggles. The host expressed her shock, and Apte clarified that she meant she married her uncle “in the film.” She continued, “That was a very challenging film, and everything about it I hated.”
Keerthi Suresh explained to the stunned audience that the ritual of marrying one's uncle is a common practice among Tamil and Telugu people. Apte interrupted, saying that in the film, she had to romance with an older actor and also referred to the situation as “patriarchal.” She said, “For me, that was the toughest thing. And then I die in the middle of it. He had to throw me (gestures over his shoulder) and then do action. I was like, when am I going to die?”
Radhika Apte’s remarks about the Telugu film instantly sparked a debate among netizens, with many wondering which film and actor she was talking about. The Akka actor has worked in four Telugu films throughout her career, two of which saw her paired opposite Balayya: Legend (2014) and Lion (2015). Netizens claimed that the scene the actor described in her interview was from Legend, directed by Boyapati Srinu. Balayya was 54 years old, while Apte was 29, when the film was released.
Some social media users defended the actor for speaking out, but several others slammed Apte and even shared clips from her older interviews in which she praised the scale of a Telugu film she was part of. “How ironic life is! Most people, especially the Telugu audience, know her because she acted in Legend, and now she’s blaming Telugu cinema,” wrote one user on X.
Some users accused the actor of having “double standards” and wrote, “She could have refused the movie offer after reading the script, but she accepted the offer.” Another X user wrote, “She didn't do any charity work. She also did a second movie with Balakrishna.” Meanwhile, others praised the actor for raising the issue of younger female actors playing leads opposite older, senior actors.
Radhika Apte is an Indian actor known for films such as Andhadhun (2018), Badlapur (2015), and Kabali (2016), in which she played the wife of superstar Rajinikanth.
[Rh/VS/RS]
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