You have to unlearn with every project: Radhika Madan

Radhika Madan is one of the few actors, who has made a smooth transition from television to films. After being critically appreciated for her work in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Pataakha and Vasan Bala’s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, the actress is currently shooting with Irrfan Khan for Angrezi Medium. The film is a sequel to 2017 hit film Hindi Medium. The project is also creating a lot of buzz because Irrfan is back shooting after his tumour treatment and Angrezi Medium also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan. Radhika plays Irffan’s daughter in the sequel. 

While promoting the World HD premiere of Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota on &picturesHD, Radhika says, “I won’t talk much about Angrezi Medium. I am lucky and grateful to get a chance to work with an actor like Irrfan sir so early in my career. He is such a gem. I have always been Kareena’s fan, so being in the same film with her is a great thing for me.” 

Having worked with names like Vishal Bhardwaj, Vasan Bala, Irrfan Khan, the actress says that one gets to learn so much just by observing them. “You learn so much just by looking at their work,” she says. 

She seems excited about the TV premiere of Mard Ko... on May 18. “I am excited because not many people got the opportunity to watch the film in the theatre. It feels good that people are going to watch it now as TV has its own audience. You want your film to be watched by more people and I am very happy,” she says. 

Though Mard... was her first film, Pataakha released first. Mard... went to different film festivals including Toronto before releasing early this year. The actress says a lot has happened since she shot for the film (Mard...). “I am getting opportunities for doing different and exciting projects. People are believing in me and giving me opportunities,” she adds.   

The actress says that she isn’t planning her career at all. “If I plan, it will go haywire. I am just going with the flow. I do not have any strategy. It’s just that things have been offered to me or I have auditioned for roles, which have worked out. These projects excite me as an actor. I feel that if you do projects which excite you, it will make you go to work everyday. It should inspire you everyday,” she says. 

Radhika has always wanted to play the conventional heroine, the kind we see in Dharma or Yash Raj Productions. “But I started off with Pataakha, where my teeth were coloured and hair was dyed. I wanted to debut in a Karan Johar movie where hair would fly,” she says and smiles.  

Radhika became a household name after she featured in the TV show Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi. She was also part of dance reality show — Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 8. Ask her if she had to unlearn certain aspects before getting into films because acting in TV is different from acting in cinema and she replies, “You have to unlearn with every project. It’s not just about TV or films. It’s about unlearning everything with every single project. If you approach every project in the same manner, you will not grow as an actor. You will be bringing the same thing on the table, which will not be exciting for the audience. That said, you need to understand which medium you are working in and how you are going to communicate with your audience.”  

ST Readers Service 
Catch the World HD premiere of Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota on &picturesHD on May 18 at 8 pm