Richa Chadha has carved out her own future in Hindi cinema as a versatile artiste who prefers to bend the rules rather than break them, says Unnati Joshi
As we entered Richa Chadha’s room at ITC Maurya, she welcomed us with a big smile on her face; she was supposed to meet a friend she told us. Juggling with her mobile phone and doing up the bed, she asked us to sit comfortably. When asked to pose, she told our photographer, “I can’t pose. Please suggest a good pose.” She is basically a warm-hearted person who likes to put up a tough exterior as a part of her defence, so people don’t mess with her.
Basking in the Cannes success of Masaan, Richa Chadha has an interesting line-up of films this year too. “Fukrey 2 is reprising the same role, Bholi Punjaban. And the cast is same too but this time I feel it’s bigger and better. I have three films releasing this year, Powerplay, love Sonia and Fukrey 2. Three different stories and I am very excited about it,” she told us.
Sharing her work experience with love Sonia she said, “I was working on a film called love Sonia which was about human sex trafficking and India is a big centre for that. That film made me want to do more charity work. Because I feel it's important. Before that also I was doing charity for stray animals. But this made me think that our problems are so small compared to these girls. They really go through a lot. Some of them are abducted from home while the others were sold without their knowledge at the age of five and six that really affected me.”
About her initial days in the Hindi film industry, Richa said, “My parents didn’t take me very seriously, they thought acting is a hobby, they supported me but they were worried as the competition here is cut throat. I had to prove myself slowly for them to take me seriously. I got a break very easily within one or two months of auditioning. Break was not a problem, the problem was to sustain and to get good work after that. My next film came to me after one and a half years, so that was the tough part. It was tougher for me to sustain after getting the break. My parents are proud of me, they were always proud of me. They were a little worried as they read clichéd news reports about the film industry.”
Is she satisfied as an actor nowIJ “I don’t think actors should ever be satisfied, you can be content. I am content that people think of me as a good actor and give me good parts to play. But I am not satisfied and I think there is a long way to go for that,” she quipped.
A fierce Richa Chadha turned from a normal Delhi girl to Bollywood’s darling. About life in Mumbai, she shared, “Mumbai is a different city and has a different vibe but it’s also very welcoming and it’s a city which I think in many ways is more respectful towards women. I am not saying that Mumbai is 100 per cent safe but it’s many times better and safer than Delhi. And I say it with a lot of sadness because I am from Delhi,” she said.
As somebody who has carved an independent performing space despite the cliché expectations of women, she feels it’s not difficult to be feisty. “It’s not difficult to be strident; it depends on how the role is written. Sometimes you don’t have to be feisty. In Masaan I wasn’t bold, I just had to be subdued and take a lot of shit. It all depends on what kind of roles you are picking also.”
Richa did an internship in journalism and feels that the way media represents women can’t be ignored. How is the new brigade of actors dealing with the gender biasesIJ “Yes, I did my internship in journalism because I wanted a degree; I never wanted to be a journalist. But if I were a journalist, I would talk more about issues and less gossip for sure. I would also talk about how media represents women, whether in politics or in films. I think female actors take it in their stride. They get written about their boyfriends, their relationships and their lifestyle and fitness and at the same time they also get written about the amount of money they are earning, which flat they are buying and which international project they are doing and that is something I am really proud of. It’s improving noIJ
“I read a headline where Smriti Irani was called an ‘aunty’ and Rahul Gandhi was called a ‘baba’. I didn’t understand that. She is younger than him and there’s no reason to do that. It happens everywhere in the world. Amal Clooney gave such an important speech at the UN and people spoke about her baby bump and how she was wearing a 4-inch heel. There was no mention about her work. So, yes there is a problem in the way media represents women and that can’t be ignored.”
Does she think that her generation of actors have redefined the role of female protagonists on screenIJ She said, “There were always strong women in the film industry, whether it was Nargis ji, Nutan, Madhubala or Meena Kumari, Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi, Rekha, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi or Waheeda Rehman. They were all women who could carry a film on their shoulders and they did films like that. They did Bandini back in the day, Achhut Kannya, Mirch Masala, Mandi. These personalities have always been there, it’s just that women are speaking out a lot more now. And now there are many more interviews, there is internet and exposure.”
Richa also mentioned the importance of content in cinema. “There is no such thing as art-house cinema. There’s independent cinema and it’s improving now. Artistes are finding their way to film festivals, getting smaller releases, using avenues like Netflix, Amazon Prime and the internet to showcase their films. I would like to see better roles for women and better scripts in future. We are failing because we don’t invest in scripts and that’s why our films don’t earn money. The minute content is good; the film will make money at box office, even if it’s a small film. But if it’s a 200 crore production with the best of stars and amazing songs and it’s a bad film, it won’t do well.”
What kind of roles is she drawn toIJ “I am drawn to good roles. I don’t look at roles as edgy or easy. A well-written role, a role at the centre of things and one which can carry a film on its own, excites me. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy supporting roles. I enjoyed my role in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-leela because I got to learn a lot from Mr. Bhansali. I think it’s very tacky to categorise the roles as heroine’s sister or her friend. I just want to do good films and I don’t strategise so much. I keep turning down bad films. As an actor I can only say that cinema is what I enjoy the most as my form of expression.”
Reports suggest Richa is all set to debut as an author. Quizzed about it, she retorted, “I am not writing a book, where is this coming fromIJ But when I do, I will let you know as I enjoy writing but not just yet.”
Photo: Pankaj Kumar