Radhika Madan has revealed the story of how she secured her role in the film Angrezi Medium, a journey marked by persistence and a refusal to take no for an answer.
Madan recounted that she had already signed her first film and had three months before shooting began. Looking for something to fill her time, she started auditioning for roles, albeit without high expectations. When she learned about Angrezi Medium, she discovered that the filmmakers had already locked in another actor for the part. Despite this, Madan was determined to audition and relentlessly pursued the opportunity.
"They had already locked someone else. But I went, fought, and irritated them, saying, 'Please take my audition!'" Madan recalled. Her persistence eventually wore down director Homi Adajania, who had initially been hesitant. According to Madan, the team felt she wasn't right for the role because they were looking for a 17-year-old. Despite their reservations, Adajania eventually relented and allowed her to audition.
Madan also revealed that she believed that the year was dominated by star kids, and she didn't expect to actually get the part. Farah Khan jokingly suggested that Madan had "stolen a star kid's role". Madan went through six rounds of auditions, one of which was with a stand-in for Irrfan Khan.
Beyond securing the audition, Madan was also asked to make a physical transformation for the role. "They asked me to lose 12 kilos, and I did," she stated. She clarified that she had gained weight for previous roles, including Pataakha, and that this was closer to her real weight.
Radhika shared that she was approached through Facebook to audition in Delhi for her first acting job. Thinking it was a scam because it was at a shady location, she brought friends and hockey sticks. It turned out to be legitimate, and three days later, she got a call. She did a look test, and on the fifth day, she was shooting her first TV show.
Angrezi Medium featured the final on-screen appearance of Irrfan Khan, who passed away in April 2020. Madan starred as Irrfan's daughter in the film, which tells the story of a father's efforts to fulfill his daughter's dream of studying abroad.
