Radhika Apte says she’s ‘gotten used to rejection’: ‘I think it is extremely hard to sell yourself, stay relevant’

Radhika plays a homemaker who is a former spy in the show. Calling the Anushree Mehta directorial a unique idea that took her instantly, she says, “When the director told me about it, I was totally into it. It is such a unique idea and it is also very playful and relatable. We see our mothers or friends being treated in a certain way at times because they are housewives or trying to do both — manage home and work.”

Radhika says she believes in picking up roles she can relate to. “You don’t have to live that life to relate to a role. You can relate to it emotionally too. She is someone who has different priorities now and feels a bit let down by the agency that has forgotten her. Now, they want her to leave everything and come back. It is something very relatable. I have seen my mother, who is an anesthetist, do so much — she cooks, takes care of the home, and is the glue that holds our family together. It is true for my aunt and some of my friends as well, but they don’t get the credit for it. They also think that it is something they have to do but at the same time, they are taken for granted.”

While Radhika has proven to be a scene stealer in almost all the projects she has acted in, she feels there is a “certain perception” about her due to which filmmakers don’t offer her “breezy roles.” Asked her penchant for intense roles, the actor says, “When I did Monica O My Darling, people asked why don’t you do more comedy. And now this (Mrs Undercover) is also a comedy, but I am rarely offered such roles. As an actor, you choose from what you get. People’s perception of you unfortunately guides what you are offered. However, you keep trying and figuring out ways to be more diverse in your work.”

When the trailer of Mrs Undercover dropped online, it was compared to Manoj Bajpayee’s The Family Man where he plays the role of a middle-class man secretly working as an intelligence officer. When asked about the comparison, she shared, “I am a huge Raj and DK fan but I haven’t seen The Family Man so I don’t know what to say. It’s really been on my list, really high on my list but it’s been quite busy the last two years.”

Radhika has been an actor for over a decade and has been a part of Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Telugu and Bengali films. When asked what has been her biggest lesson, she says she has become better at handling rejection.

She says there is cut-throat competition which makes it difficult for low-key people like her to find work. “The biggest challenge in this industry is to take rejections and still stand up on your feet and (act) as if everything is fine. Be resilient. I think now it comes more naturally to me because you get used to it. One also needs to understand that it is a business so then you don’t take it personally. You need to keep yourself inspired, you have to sell yourself that I think is extremely hard to do.”

When reminded that she’s been the face of the emergence of web content in India after she acted in some of the landmark Indian originals, she revealed that over the time one needs to stay relevant and it is hard.  She said, “There is so much competition… there are so many fantastic actors and there is a constant influx of brilliant actors. So there is always competition and you need to stay relevant and it is hard.”

It’s not only her OTT projects that keep Radhika busy. The actor has also been testing the waters internationally. After appearing in international films like The Wedding Guest, The Ashram and A Call to Spy, Radhika has two more English films in her kitty. When asked if she’s doing films in the west, she reveals, “I just finished a British film called Sister Midnight, I am very excited about that film. There is an American film that I am going to shoot next but I can’t disclose much and then I am going to do a Hindi film.”