Exclusive: No Puri Jagannadh film with Vijay Sethupathi and Tabu, says Radhika Apte
Radhika Apte's 'Sister Midnight' is finally all set to release in India. The BAFTA-nominated film also marks her return to the big screen after a brief hiatus. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, the actor addressed recent rumours linking her to an upcoming film directed by Puri Jagannadh, allegedly co-starring Vijay Sethupathi and Tabu.Visibly surprised and amused by the speculation, Radhika told India Today, 'Oh my God, I didn't even know this,' and laughed when asked about the reports. 'I have no idea about this news and I'm not doing this film. I absolutely have no idea wow. This is so funny.'advertisementThe unverified reports had sparked excitement among fans, especially given the potential ensemble cast of Sethupathi, Tabu and Apte.While she debunked that rumour, Apte did confirm that she's exploring new avenues — behind the camera. She's currently developing a Marathi film she might direct with Vikramaditya Motwane.
'There's a project I'm trying to do with Vikram, something that I can direct. But 'Koyta' is just something we're discussing — a story — and the news came out, but it is something that we might do,' she clarified. 'There's also another film which I might do. But, at the moment, both these films are quite like, it's so unclear to even us that I was a bit taken aback by the news coming out like that.'Known for her versatile performances and no-nonsense honesty, Radhika has always managed to stun the audience with her power-packed performances.Meanwhile, her upcoming movie, 'Sister Midnight', has been directed by debutant Karan Kandhari. The film, a black comedy set in Mumbai, follows Uma, a newly married woman navigating the complexities of an arranged marriage. Apte described the film as "a very crazy film. A wild ride. It's strange and unlike anything I've done before." You May Also Like
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Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Radhika Apte Discusses Challenges of Motherhood: The Hindi Film Industry's Compatibility with Moms
Motherhood has a way of shifting priorities, but for , it's also pulled back the curtain on a long-ignored truth: Is the Hindi film industry compatible for mothers? Being a hands-on parent Radhika is also trying to hold space for her creative life. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Excerpts of the interview are as followed... ' We have no nanny and no night nurse' Now a mother, Radhika describes this phase as both overwhelming and extraordinary. Ask her if becoming a mother has changed her creative lens and Radhika, as candid as she gets, replies, "Five and a half months is a very small time to give you that answer. I'm still in the thick of it," she answers as she speaks to us from London. "We live in London, we believe in doing stuff on our own. So, we have zero help. We have no nanny, no night nurse, no cook, nobody. We do everything on our own. So, it's been very hectic, but we like it. Babies famously don't sleep. Every day is different, to be honest with you. It's been incredible and it's been very hard at the same time so far. You do look at world from a very different lens because you have a child now," she adds. Radhika Apte opens up about her motherhood journey, says she was prepared for "postpartum depression" ' Not a lot of mothers with babies can possibly work in our industry' However, while she is still finding her foot as a mother, she has deduced something on the work front. "With work, what has definitely changed, is now I've realized that how we work in India is just never going to be a possibility for me. Because in India a normal shift is minimum 12 hours. That doesn't include makeup. So, with hair and makeup it's about 13 hours, plus the travel. And no shoot finishes on time. That's 15 hours plus when it doesn't finish up on time. I've shot mostly for 16 -18 hours in my life. And that's just never a possibility anymore. I can't do it because if I do that, I'll never get to see my daughter. So, I've just realized that that's impossible. So, I must have different terms in my contracts now and a lot of people are going to have problems with that. That's made me wonder - there's so many women on film sets. We talk about gender equality and there's so many women in lots of departments. Then I want to know how many of them have children. Because it's assumed in our culture that it's okay for men not to see their children. But mothers can't afford to do that. So not a lot of mothers with babies can possibly work in our industry. Unless they have their babies dragged on set. So, I was just like, 'Wow, this is going to have to change how I work'. I have two projects that I'm about to sign and I'm gonna have to change how the contracts read. But that's really been an eye opener for me," the Andhadhun actress elaborates. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ' I don't feel like I've just completely gotten myself buried under mother duties' Through it all, Radhika finds strength in the shared load at home—something she and her partner, musician , have committed to wholeheartedly. "We're trying to find a balance. I realize that it's a longer process because every day is different. However, cliched this line is, it's actually true. Every single day is different. The baby's needs change, the baby's sleep changes, your emotion change. Everything changes every day. But we are trying to find that. We both have not given up what we need, and we give each other time to do that. I don't feel like I've just completely gotten myself buried under mother duties. I'm not completely sacrificing my entire self for it. And my partner and I share everything, like absolutely everything. We're so equal in, in how we are raising her. It's been really lovely to learn to get to know your partner better," she states. Fresh off a wave of festival acclaim for Sister Midnight , Radhika shares, "We've had really great reviews everywhere. It's actually very validating." She admits she is "Not sure how it will do theatrically". " I'm very excited to see what happens because it's so different," she signs off.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Radhika Apte opens up on her life as a new mother: It's incredible but also very hard
Radhika Apte gave a shocker to her fans last year when she attended the premiere of her film Sister Midnight at the BFI London Film Festival. The actor came at the red carpet flaunting a baby bump for the first time, and now that the film has recently released in India, Radhika Apte is enjoying talking about it. Living in London, the actor was away from the limelight, and she even gave birth to her daughter with husband Benedict Taylor, away from all the attention in December 2024. Ask her if it felt empowering being able to share her news on her own terms, and a nonchalant Radhika says, 'Not really. It came out because of work only, otherwise nobody would have known. I had to attend the premiere, and I was pregnant. So, people found out. I didn't really care though. If it would have come out early or later, it wouldn't have mattered. I was never going to announce that 'oh, I'm pregnant'. The bump was a very visible cue.' But the actor insists that she is loving getting to enjoy this beautiful phase of her life away from the cameras. 'It has been refreshing. I just love not being looked at constantly; that's quite liberating. I'm not somebody who's heavily on social media or takes selfies or pictures of everything. So, it's been nice to not look at yourself from a camera lens, because what happens in that situation is that you start thinking about yourself from the lens. It's really helping me get my focus back into my own body and mind,' she says. However, Radhika adds that not having work during her pregnancy wasn't a conscious choice: 'I did not work because I couldn't. There was no offer or roles for me with the body I had at the moment.' But she is enjoying exploring this phase of motherhood as she gushes, 'It's a little early to say because it's so brand new and fresh, but it's incredible and amazing, and also very hard. I'm new to this motherhood, but it's going great so far.' Has she witnessed any change in herself as a mum and she quips, 'I don't have the brain power to think about it. I'm on barely two to three hours of sleep every night, so I really don't know. I don't have the time to self-reflect. But hopefully in a few years I'll find it.' Ask her if the kind of offers coming her way have changed post motherhood and Radhika says, 'There's some good and a lot of crap offers, so it's a mixture. But some good work has always come my way at any time. So, I'm lucky with that. I can say that I'll be back to work in Hindi soon.'
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
Radhika Apte expresses challenges for new mothers in film industry: 'I don't know how I am going to navigate it'
Radhika Apte , who announced her pregnancy last year at the BAFTA Awards, now opened up about the difficulties new mothers face in the demanding film industry. Her British film, Karan Kandhari's black comedy Sister Midnight, which premiered at Cannes last May, is now releasing in India, and Apte's daughter is six months old. Short maternity leave and Industry realities Radhika had a remarkably short "maternity leave," returning to work just a week after her daughter's birth. Last December, she even shared a picture of herself attending a virtual work meeting while breastfeeding, highlighting her immediate return to professional life. While virtually speaking to SCREEN from London, Apte candidly addressed whether the film industry is supportive of new mothers. "I don't think they are. I don't know how I'm going to navigate that going ahead," she confessed. Her statement comes amid a broader discussion within the industry, with reports suggesting actors like Deepika Padukone potentially walking out of films over concerns like requesting eight-hour shifts post-pregnancy. While actor-producer Ajay Devgn recently defended the industry, claiming shorter shifts are now common for everyone, Apte emphasized the unique challenges for new mothers. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Най-продаваните ежедневни обувки това лято – виж защо! ZAROTRAVEL® КУПИ СЕГА Undo "It's really difficult to work in our film industry, given the number of hours and how we film generally, and the time for which we don't get to see the child. So I guess I'll just have to figure it out now," she explained. This challenge is compounded by Apte's long-standing practice of dividing her time between India and London. A shifting focus from acting to screenwriting Even before embracing motherhood, Radhika found herself dissatisfied with the acting roles coming her way, which led her to explore screenwriting. She previously directed the short film The Sleepwalkers, starring Gulshan Devaiah and Shahana Goswami, available on MUBI. "I'm tired of acting because you don't necessarily get the kind of work you want. I'm tired of doing the same thing or doing things just for the sake of it," she admitted, explaining her decision to be more selective. Apte revealed that writing began out of this frustration, allowing her to explore subjects that weren't offered to her as an actor. She unexpectedly found joy in the process, inspiring her to delve deeper into it. On the acting front, Radhika will next be seen in Dharmaraj Shetty's revenge thriller show Akka on Netflix India and Justin Lin's American film Last Days, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year. Embracing character transformation beyond stereotypes Discussing her role as Uma in Sister Midnight, Apte highlighted her fascination with the character, a "small-town misfit who became an accidental outlaw." Uma enters an arranged marriage and undergoes a bizarre, supernatural transformation. When asked if it was fun to break out of the "demure homemaker mould" often seen in roles like her character in Pad Man, Apte clarified her artistic approach. "There's nothing wrong with playing a demure homemaker. It was never my intention to play a badass. It's about the character, the arc, and the story you're trying to tell," she stated. She emphasized the relatability of Uma's journey: "The emotional transformation is the acceptance of who she is. She discovers herself after becoming an outlaw. That self-discovery is very relatable. It's not about womanhood. It's applicable to any individual who finds discomfort in adjusting to a structure or a society.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
