Radhika on violent films: 'How one eat popcorn while 50 men are getting beaten up on screen'

Radhika Apte on violent films: 'I don't understand how one can watch and eat popcorn while 50 men or women are getting beaten up'

Radhika Apte, known for choosing varied roles across genres, has made it clear that she wants no part of the extremely violent films that are ruling cinemas today. Speaking ahead of her series ‘Akka’, the actor also opened up about how motherhood has changed the way she looks at work.

A career without typecasting

In a career of nearly two decades, Radhika Apte has tried her hand at almost every genre and has stayed clear of being typecast. However, she draws the line at films with excessive violence, especially the popular mass action kind.

Radhika Apte’s view on screen violence

While promoting ‘Akka’, which revolves around the rivalry between two gangsters, Radhika Apte told PTI, "What is working right now is violence, and I’m vehemently against it. So, it’s a tricky situation.”She pointed out that violence-heavy films seem to be bringing in theatrical business, but she does not want to be part of that trend. She said, “I don’t watch those films; I find them absurd. Like, I don’t understand how one can watch and eat popcorn while 50 men or women are getting beaten up and creatively beaten up because last time he broke his skull on a sink, so this time let’s break it on some other slab. I can’t compute it.

So, I’d rather not be a part of it.”

Radhika Apte says, ‘Priorities have changed’

The 41-year-old actor, who welcomed her daughter in 2024, shared that her work priorities are now different, and fixed working hours matter the most to her. She said, “All I ask for is 12 hours of workday and not a 16-hour workday or like some time off, and it’s not always possible. I also wanted to not work because nothing was worth (doing it). For me, I wanted to be with her as much as possible, and I still do because she’s too small.

So, I think all those things and my work is not my life. It has never been my life; it’s part of my life. So, things are ever changing. Tomorrow I might stop doing everything, or I might do a lot. Who knows? So, it’s not like there’s one reason necessarily (for not doing films).”

All about ‘Akka’

Set in the 1980s, ‘Akka’ is a gangster drama that stars Keerthy Suresh and Radhika in the lead. It will stream on Netflix from October 30. Tanvi Azmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anshuman Pushkar and Monica Panwar play key roles.