Richa Chadha on how her Shakeela biopic is different from Vidya Balan’s Silk Smitha drama and what made her agree to play the South actress on screen
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 12, 2018)

Richa Chadha wrapped up Indrajith Lankesh’s Shakeela biopic last week. Based on the life of the actress by the same name, known for her roles in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, Richa says she took up the project for the cinematic ups and downs Shakeela’s story has to offer. “I was surprised after the narration wondering why no one had thought of making this film before. I couldn’t believe all this had actually happened in one person’s life,” admits Richa, adding that she found her muse interesting but also someone who would have faced many challenges while she was working and hasn’t got her due. “In our conversations she came across as very liberated. While many of us discovered feminism in books, she lived by that ideology without having been privy to discussions around it. The film touches upon topics like sexual harassment at the workplace and patriarchal mindset in the film industry while also focussing on the sacrifices a mother makes for the family and her children.”

Isn’t she afraid of comparisons with Vidya Balan whose 2011 biographical drama The Dirty Picture was inspired by another South actress, Silk Smitha? “At least I’m not being compared to a non-actor. I respect Vidya as a performer and The Dirty Picture was a really good film. Ours is a different film, more so because the subject is alive,” she reasons.

Meanwhile, Richa who is in a steady relationship with Ali Fazal, will soon start shooting for her next, Section 375. Prod her on marriage plans and she laughs, “I knew this question was coming. I don’t have an answer to it yet as it involves our families. All I can say is that there is still time for it.”