Radhika Apte has no industry lineage to speak of. The Pune girl, who began her acting career with theatre, has risen up the ladder in Bollywood on the sheer strength of her performances and choice of roles. She is as bold off camera as she's on it - not once shying away from addressing questions on nepotism, nudity and inequality among the sexes in B-Town. In a freewheeling chat with BT, Radhika holds forth on her life as an actor. Excerpts...

Was 2016 a turning point in your career?
I don't look at it that way, but yes, the past two years have been really good. My career has received a boost. Especially last year, when I had seven releases - while one of them was critically acclaimed, the other one fared well at the box office. I see this as a beginning and I am waiting to see where it takes me.

It has taken a long time for you to get your due...
It takes time for everyone. If you are an industry kid, the first film is given to you on a platter. However, the pressure and expectations are immense. If you are an outsider, there's nothing to weigh you down, but it takes a long time to make your mark. There is no set way of getting a role - you don't give an exam, score well and then nail a film. Though I have achieved a little bit in my career, I have to continue working hard. What I want is more than what I have achieved.

Parched had a topless scene, which was relevant to the story. But do you think the way the audience in India reacted to its leaked version was immature?
Films are big in our country and people are emotional about it. I am aware of what happened with the nude scene in Parched. But men and women who connected with it, didn't see it through the prism of nudity. The problem arises when nudity is seen out of context. Even then, I don't think our audience is immature.

There's a difference between the aesthetic portrayal of nudity and the objectification of women. And the latter does happen in Bollywood.
Nudity is justified if it's relevant to the plot. The intention should be right. But if it's just about showing women dancing naked in the name of entertainment, that's not acceptable. It really depends on why you are putting it in.

Having said that, the situation is slowly changing. We have more female-centric films today...
Yes, there has been significant change in the way roles are being written for women. In fact, the last decade has been good. Interestingly, not just actresses, even actors are stuck with clichéd roles. Udta Punjab and Piku are exceptions. The image of an actor plays a huge role in deciding if he or she can experiment with roles. The fear of the audience not accepting looms large, too.

You have done films in the South as well. Do you think sexism is more blatant there?
I have barely done three films there, so commenting on the whole industry would be unfair. Kabali was a pleasant experience. I was treated well by Rajinikanth and the director (Pa. Ranjith). But the same cannot be said about the other films - the hero was put up in a far better hotel than the heroine. While the hero's call time was 9 am, I was asked to report on the set two hours earlier. I haven't seen that happening in the Hindi film industry.

What is it that you love about Bollywood? And what is it that you dislike?
It's an amazing place to be. There are so many talented, hard-working people who inspire you. They are also very supportive. The most wonderful thing is that you meet new people all the time. There are exceptions, but most people don't pay on time in the industry, and you are made to feel guilty when you ask for your money.