Eighteen years and several powerful films later, Radhika Apte would love to choose the cream of the crop. But good scripts, she rues, are hard to come by. “I say no [to scripts] all the time. In the last three years, I have said no so much that it’s scaring me. I don’t wholeheartedly love the scripts of even the films I do. I am being very honest,” begins the actor, who had a release over the weekend in Mrs Undercover.

She notes that writers have better ideas than scripts to offer. “People don’t spend time writing. One reason is that writers are paid badly. Now, it’s getting much better, but [we have a long way to go]. People have incredible ideas, but scripts require work and they aren’t ready to put in that much work.”

Apte says that she gave her nod to Mrs Undercover on the basis of its idea. The ZEE5 spy comedy, helmed by Anushree Mehta, tells the story of a homemaker doubling up as an undercover agent. “I said yes on the basis of the narration because I liked the idea. We have grown up observing so many women, who are either homemakers or career women, but they also have to take care of the house more than their partners. It’s a thankless job.”

Over the years, the actor has built a strong body of work, comprising Badlapur (2015), Sacred Games (2018), Andhadhun (2018), and Monica O My Darling (2022). While turning down projects sometimes unsettles her, she is clear about how she wants to build her career further.

“Now that I have a little bit of authority, I put my foot down [about things]. For instance, PRs want you to do things that are selling. Now, I feel more confident about saying that I won’t do this. [In films too], I have become more selective. In a year, I try to do [a piece of] work that I absolutely love, work that will pay my bills, and then something that will get me mainstream recognition.”