Radhika Apte Says She Was Asked To Add ‘More Padding’ On Sets, Calls It Traumatic
Actor Radhika Apte has once again spoken openly about the sexism she faced during the early years of her acting career, especially while working in South Indian films in the late 2000s.
In a recent interaction that has gone viral on social media, the actor described a deeply uncomfortable and traumatic experience where she was allegedly asked to add extra “padding” to her body on set.
Speaking to actor Divyenndu Sharma for Creator x Creator by The Indian Express while promoting their upcoming film ‘Saali Mohabbat’, Apte said she took up certain projects at the start of her career mainly because she needed the money, but the emotional toll was heavy.
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Recalling one incident, Apte said she was shooting in a small town and was the only woman on a set full of men.
She revealed that members of the crew asked for more padding on her body. “They wanted to add more padding on my bum and breasts. They kept saying, ‘Amma, more padding,’” she said.
Apte questioned the demand and strongly objected. “I asked, how much more padding? How much rounder will you make somebody?” she recalled, adding that she had to firmly tell the assistant to inform the director that she would not agree to it.
The actor also said she was not allowed to bring her own team, leaving her without a manager or agent. “I had no control. I was the only woman there, with no support system,” she said, calling the situation extremely isolating.
Reflecting on the aftermath, Apte said the experience left her shaken. “I never want to be in that situation again. It was actually traumatic,” she admitted.
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She also spoke about the larger issue of silence within the industry, saying many powerful women who could bring change choose not to act. “That really disturbs me,” she said.
On the work front, ‘Saali Mohabbat’ is a mystery thriller directed by Tisca Chopra, starring Radhika Apte as a small-town housewife caught in a web of lies and murder.
The film also stars Divyenndu Sharma, Anurag Kashyap, Sharat Saxena, and Kusha Kapila, and is currently streaming on Zee5, having released on December 12.
