Radhika Apte, a prominent figure in Indian cinema, has recently shared a "traumatic" experience from her early days working in the South Indian film industry. During an interview, Apte revealed an incident where she was pressured to add excessive padding to her body to fit a hyper-feminized stereotype. She recounted being the only woman on set and feeling deeply uncomfortable with the demands made regarding her physical appearance.
Apte explained that the incident occurred while shooting in a small town for a South Indian film. She recalled stylists telling her, "Amma, more padding!" as they attempted to enlarge her breasts and hips. Apte questioned the extent of the changes they wanted to make to her body. She found the experience particularly disturbing because she was the only woman present, without a personal manager or agent to support her. According to Apte, she wasn't allowed to have her own team, and the crew consisted entirely of men. She also stated that lewd jokes about women were common on the sets.
The actress openly discussed how this experience, coupled with other instances of sexism in the industry, led her to turn down high-profile Bollywood projects. Apte stated that she needed money at the time, which led to her working in the South Indian film industry. She clarified that her intention was not to generalize about the entire South Indian film industry, acknowledging that it also produces incredible cinema. However, she felt compelled to share her story to highlight the objectification and gender imbalance that exists in some sectors of the industry.
Apte, who has appeared in Telugu films such as "Legend" and "Lion," and Tamil films including "Kabali," emphasized that she wouldn't want any woman to be in the position she was in and termed the experience as "traumatic". She expressed her concern over the lack of women in powerful positions who can bring about change, calling it "deeply disturbing".
This isn't the first time actresses have spoken out about the challenges they face in the South Indian film industry. Actress Padmapriya revealed an incident where a filmmaker slapped her on set, highlighting the broader issue of dismissing and misrepresenting women's experiences. Fatima Sana Shaikh also shared her experiences with the casting couch, detailing uncomfortable encounters with agents and producers. These accounts shed light on the inequalities and sexism that some women continue to face in the film industry, reinforcing the need for change and greater representation.
