Radhika hits back at trolls body-shaming Alia in ‘Alpha’, saying male action heroes face no such scrutiny

Radhika Apte hits back at trolls body-shaming Alia Bhatt in ‘Alpha’, saying male action heroes face no such scrutiny: 'Your actors who are doing action have massive paunches'

Radhika Apte has stood up for Alia Bhatt after the ‘Alpha’ star was trolled over her action look. In an interview, Radhika questioned why women are judged on their bodies in action roles while men rarely face similar remarks.

Radhika Apte backs Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt’s action-heavy turn in ‘Alpha’ drew mixed reactions, with several viewers feeling she lacked the physicality such a role demands. Radhika Apte was speaking alongside Keerthy Suresh, her co-star in the upcoming crime thriller ‘Akka’. The two were asked if audiences hesitate to accept women leading crime dramas. They said they feel the mindset is changing, citing

Samantha Ruth Prabhu

in ‘The Family Man’ and Kalyani Priyadarshan in ‘Lokah’.When told about the trolling Alia faced, Radhika hit back. “Your actors who are doing action have massive paunches and all, and Alia is bloody fit. I mean, please,” she said.

Why the double standard exists

Radhika Apte also spoke about why such unequal judgement continues. “I think it’s because most households and a large part of our country are quite traditional. You want women to be a certain way, dress a certain way, behave a certain way, and get married at a certain age.

That still exists. Very few people are comfortable with the freedom that their daughters are seeking, or rather, rightfully claiming. I think that also reflects in the kind of content people watch.

That’s my guess,” she said.

Trouble for ‘Alpha’

Alia Bhatt drew criticism online for playing an 18-year-old character while being in her 30s. Her action avatar then came under fire over her physique. Directed by Shiv Rawail, the film was also criticised for its storyline and dialogues.

Despite a cast that includes Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Sharvari, ‘Alpha’ managed to earn only ₹99 crore worldwide.

What to know about ‘Akka’

Helmed by Dharmaraj Shetty, ‘Akka’ stars Keerthy Suresh and Radhika, along with Tanvi Azmi, B. Jayashree, Nivedita Bhargava, Anshumaan Pushkar, Poornima Indrajith, Vishak Nair, Mahesh Manjrekar and Monika Pawar. Netflix describes the show as, “In a kingdom ruled by women, matriarch Bhavani faces her biggest threat in Rudra, a ruthless rebel eyeing her land and legacy.” The series arrives on Netflix on October 30.