Thriller is her favourite genre, states Radhika Apte at the start of our interview. So, you’d think she would jump at the opportunity of being a part of Monica O My Darling, a quirky blend of thriller and comedy. Couple that with the fresh voice of director Vasan Bala, and it’s a win-win situation. But Apte surprises us, when she says, “I was reluctant to play this part. Considering the kind of humour that my character has, I thought I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. But Vasan had faith in me.”

With her filmography consisting largely of dramas — from Sacred Games (2018) to Lust Stories (2018), and the recent Vikram Vedha — the actor’s apprehension about attempting the novel genre is understandable. But the trailer of the Netflix film tells a different story altogether. Apte, as ACP Naidu who is investigating a murder case, shines bright with her funny one-liners, and holds her own in front of Rajkummar Rao and Huma Qureshi. “We did some training [to perfect] the accent. To understand my character’s mindset was challenging. When I was offered this role, I thought the film’s humour was different. But when I watched it, it felt organic.”

For the actor, the biggest incentive was teaming up with Bala. He is someone whose work she has followed keenly over the years. “I remember talking to him over the phone. I said, ‘I really want to work with you. So, let’s figure this out.’ He is a soft-spoken guy who has complete clarity of vision. I’ve worked with people who know exactly what they want, and they don’t give you the freedom [to explore]. Though Vasan knows what he wants, he gives you a [free hand],” she smiles.

More importantly, Apte notes that he has the ability to make an artiste feel creatively safe. “It’s so important for an actor to feel safe to try something that might not work. [Even if you] fail repeatedly, he lets you go out of your comfort zone and try different things. So, there is the willingness to experiment, but there is also clarity about where we want to go with a particular scene.”