Radhika Apte has revealed that her past roles involving intimate scenes led some filmmakers to assume she would readily agree to similar scenes, even when they were unnecessary to the story, reports NDTV.
Speaking to Zoom, the actor recalled being asked to kiss co-stars without a clear reason and being approached about performing an action sequence in only underwear.
“In the beginning I have done some four five films where I’m nude. Like entirely nude. So then, one of these people were sitting, they said, ‘Ye to kar legi. (She will do it),’” Radhika said.
She explained that her approach has changed with experience. She now expects filmmakers to clearly explain why an intimate scene is needed and how it serves the story.
“I want them to explain to me, ‘Why do you want it? Like why do you want me to kiss him right now?’” she said, recalling vague responses such as “thoda thoda” and suggestions of brief improvised kissing.
Radhika also recalled another incident in which she was asked to perform an action sequence without a shirt.
“There was a set where they were like, ‘Can you do an action sequence? What if you don’t put the buttons on?’” she recalled.
When she questioned the idea, she said the team suggested doing the sequence in a bra and underwear instead. Radhika declined the request, questioning what the scene was meant to achieve.
The actor said filmmakers should respect performers’ choices and boundaries rather than pressuring them into scenes simply to make a project more successful.
Radhika is currently appearing in the Netflix anthology Lust Stories 3, alongside Konkona Sen Sharma, Vijay Varma, Abhishek Banerjee, Gurfateh Pirzada, Sana Thampi, Ali Fazal, Radhika Madan, Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth.
