Radhika Apte Blasts Industry’s ‘Traumatic’ Sexism: Recalls Being Told to Add ‘More Padding’ and Losing Film Over Weight Gain
Radhika Apte Blasts Industry’s ‘Traumatic’ Sexism: Recalls Being Told to Add ‘More Padding’ and Losing Film Over Weight Gain
Acclaimed actor Radhika Apte, known for her powerful and unconventional roles across Hindi, Marathi, and international cinema, has once again dominated headlines by sharing intensely personal and candid details about the ‘traumatic’ sexism and body shaming she endured during the early stages of her career. In a series of recent interviews, Apte opened up about the harsh realities of working in an industry obsessed with impossible beauty standards, including a shocking instance of being asked to use ‘padding’ and losing a major film project over a minimal weight gain. Her powerful confessions are not just personal anecdotes; they are a damning indictment of the relentless pressures faced by women in the entertainment world and a declaration of her uncompromising stand against them today.
The ‘Traumatic’ Reality of Early South Indian Film Sets
Apte’s revelations cast a spotlight on the hostile environments she encountered, particularly during her initial foray into the South Indian film industry. She described those early days as genuinely ‘traumatic’ and expressed a hope that “no woman” would ever have to be in that position.
In a conversation with Creator X Creator by SCREEN, the actor revealed the stark lack of support and the pervasive culture of sexism she experienced. “I was the only woman! I had no manager. I had no agent. My team was all men because they’d given me the role. They said, ‘No, you’re not allowed to get your own team,’” she recalled.
This isolation was compounded by demands regarding her physical appearance. The most jarring revelation was the instruction she received to alter her body shape for a role, recalling being repeatedly asked to add excessive ‘padding’ to her body to fit a certain visual expectation. Apte recounted the exasperation, asking, “Amma, more padding! I asked them how much more they wanted. How much rounder would you make somebody?” She cited this demand—literally dictating her physicality with no other women around—as an “extreme example” of the toxic environment.
The Call That Triggered Years of Anxiety
Perhaps the most impactful story Apte shared involved a defining moment of rejection that planted the seeds of anxiety for years to come. The actress revealed she was abruptly removed from a major film after gaining a few kilos while on a vacation. The harsh critique from the producers was delivered with an unfeeling bluntness: “They said, ‘This is so fat’… It triggered years of anxiety.”
This incident, fueled by the industry’s obsession with surface-level perfection, caused deep-seated insecurities about weight, ageing, and appearance that she struggled with for a long time. It highlights the immense mental health toll exacted by “horrendous and impossible beauty norms” in cinema, standards which she believes are detrimental to everyone’s well-being.
The Postpartum Defiance: An Unapologetic Return
Today, Apte has transformed that early trauma into powerful defiance. Having welcomed a child with her husband, Benedict Taylor, in late 2024, the actor recently returned to work three months postpartum and made an intentional choice to embrace her current body on camera.
“I was three months postpartum when I shot two films. I am bigger than I’ve ever been. And I was like, I’m going to be on camera, and I’m going to proudly be on camera. And I did it,” she asserted. This deliberate decision to refuse to ‘shrink herself for the camera’ is a powerful statement against the very standards that caused her such pain earlier in her career. She credits therapy for helping her connect the dots and realize that the early rejection was, in fact, a “blessing in disguise” that ultimately made her stronger and empowered her to reject industry conformity.
A Superstar’s Validation: The Shah Rukh Khan Story
In a lighter but equally significant recent anecdote, Radhika Apte also shared a heartwarming experience with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, providing a welcome counterpoint to her earlier struggles. The actress recalled missing a call from a strange number, which was immediately followed by a text message that read, “Radhika, this is Shah Rukh Khan. Please call me back.”
Initially suspecting it might be a prank due to the unknown number, she verified the information with her agent before calling him back. The reason for the call was simple and genuine: Shah Rukh Khan had just seen her critically acclaimed performance in the 2018 thriller Andhadhun and had called her personally, simply to praise her work. “I just want to tell you that I just saw Andhadhun,” he told her, “‘I really loved your performance. And I only called to tell you this.’”
Apte said the unsolicited appreciation made her day. They later met at a party, where, despite her hesitation to approach him, Khan spotted her, put his arm around her, and “chatted with me for half an hour.” This act of kindness and professional respect from a figure of his stature offers a compelling contrast to the toxic environment she faced at the start of her journey.
Stepping Behind the Camera
Beyond her outspoken activism and recent acting projects—including the BAFTA-nominated Sister Midnight and the ZEE5 release Saali Mohabbat—Apte is also expanding her control over the creative process. The actor is set to make her feature film directorial debut with the action-fantasy film Kotya (or Koyta), to be produced by Vikramaditya Motwane. The Hindi/Marathi film is a unique story about a young migrant sugarcane cutter who gains superpowers to free her family from debt. This step into direction further solidifies her evolution from an actress who was once subjected to rigid external demands to a filmmaker who will now define the vision herself.
Radhika Apte’s latest interviews are more than just entertainment gossip; they are a crucial commentary on the industry’s archaic standards and a celebration of her journey to find her voice. Her decision to speak out, coupled with her unapologetic professional choices as a new mother and a budding director, marks her as a powerful advocate for change and one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Indian cinema.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What did Radhika Apte reveal about her early film career?
A: Radhika Apte revealed that her early career, particularly on South Indian film sets, was “traumatic” due to pervasive sexism. She specifically recalled being the only woman on set, being asked to add “more padding” to her body for a role, and being removed from a major film project because she had gained weight during a vacation.
Q2: What was Shah Rukh Khan’s call to Radhika Apte about?
A: Shah Rukh Khan called Radhika Apte personally after seeing her performance in the film Andhadhun. She initially missed the call but called back after receiving a text from him. SRK told her that he simply called to express how much he loved her performance.
Q3: Is Radhika Apte making her directorial debut?
A: Yes, Radhika Apte is set to make her feature film directorial debut with an action-fantasy film titled Kotya (also referred to as Koyta). The film is a Hindi/Marathi production and will be bankrolled by filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane.
Q4: What project was Radhika Apte recently nominated for?
A: Radhika Apte was nominated for a British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for her performance in the BAFTA-nominated film Sister Midnight, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
Q5: What is Radhika Apte’s stand on the film industry’s beauty standards now?
A: Having faced body shaming early on, Radhika Apte now actively defies impossible beauty norms. She recently shot two films three months after giving birth, proudly appearing on camera “bigger than I’ve ever been,” asserting that she will not conform to restrictive ideas of beauty.
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