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EXCLUSIVE: Here's why Radhika Apte thinks she does not have as much power as Deepika Padukone
Radhika Apte who will next be seen in Padman spoke about her admiration for Sonam Kapoor, Akshay Kumar as a co-star and also addressed the menstrual taboos that still persist in the country. She also spoke about the recently held Time's Up campaign which had become a global rage.
Radhika Apte is one of the most vocal and talented actresses we have in Bollywood. Radhika has established herself as a trusted actor with her impeccable performances in Parched, Badlapur and many other movies. Radhika is currently all geared up for the release of her upcoming movie Padman wherein she is paired opposite Akshay Kumar.
In a candid interview with Pinkvilla, Radhika spoke about her admiration for Sonam Kapoor, Akshay Kumar as a co-star and also addressed the menstrual taboos that still persist in the country. She also spoke about the recently held Time's Up campaign which had become a global rage.
Here's an excerpt from the interview:
Your reaction when the script of Padman was narrated to you?
I thought the title was great and that Akshay Kumar was perfectly suited but I wasn't aware of the story so I think I was most inspired by the story.
Any particular taboo or problem related to menstruation that you found out during your research for the movie?
Not that I was completely unaware of that but what I did not know and should have known is that lots of people don't use sanitary napkins and I did not know that almost 50% of the women don't use sanitary napkins. That really shocked me because menstrual hygiene is extremely important. One can have many diseases owing to this. I thought it was all the more essential for us to make this movie. 
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Ever faced an awkward situation (both personally and professionally) owing to menstruation?
No. I am a mufat. If I am not feeling well, I just go and tell my director that listen I am on my periods so don't make me run 50 times. Why shouldn't I? If your shoulder hurts, you go and tell them na? Then why not when your stomach hurts?
What is that one thing you want people to take away from the movie?
I want people to talk about it openly and take menstrual hygiene seriously.
How did you prepare for the movie?
Balki's script was written beautifully and my character was well-sketched. The script was so strong that I took a lot from that. I had to work on my language because it comes from a certain part of the country. Of course, I had to really work on the character so that it is relatable.
How was it working with Sonam Kapoor and Akshay Kumar?
Unfortunately, I don't have any scenes with Sonam which I wish I had because I admire her. About Akshay, it was amazing because he is a complete prankster. He is really lovely. First of all, he is one of the most professional people I have met, he is punctual, he is so hardworking. He still wakes up at 4 AM and does his workout. I am so impressed. He is also very spontaneous so he improvises suddenly in between scenes. It was very interesting. The reach he has and the subject he is choosing is really commendable.
About Sacred Games?
I am very excited. It was great shooting for it. We had been shooting since September and just wrapped up. It was really lovely working with Vikram (Motwane), Anurag (Kashyap). It was such a great experience and I want to do more of it.
About Saif Ali Khan as a co-star in both Baazaar and Sacred Games?
Saif is so different in Baazaar and Sacred Games. So, we had completely different parts and relationships in both the projects.
Do you think a campaign like Time's Up can be replicated in India?
I am sure it can be replicated and I am sure it will happen sooner or later but it is the new people who are going to come in a new city and how are they treated is also very important. For me, it is still okay... I don't have as much power as Deepika Padukone has, but whatever little power I have, not power, but it is about having done some work so that if someone behaves a certain way I can say that you know what I am not going to do your film. But if I have everything at stake. I have left home, don't have money and have come here to do my work. It is a different thing at stake. You cannot imagine what people go through or what they are willing to do for their dreams. We need to find a protective system and come up with organizations and systematic way to deal with this. Today we have casting directors which is good because earlier we didn't. Today we do auditions which are seen by a team and a lot of women are involved in every department. This is how we change it.
Do you think Bollywood's perspective towards women in movies is changing slowly?
The perspective towards women is changing all over the world. It is a constant change but the speed of the change is getting faster now.
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