Actor Radhika Madan made headlines as the youngest jury member from India at this year’s International Emmy Awards. Initially surprised by the offer, the 28-year-old shares that she was in disbelief: “When I got to know I was going to be the youngest jury member from India, I just couldn’t believe it. I felt so proud!”

She also became the first Indian actor to join the jury at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2023 in Estonia. Madan expresses her excitement about the opportunity, saying, “To be a jury member was phenomenal. It was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life.”

For her, festivals aren’t about “titles but about experiencing diversity and meeting people”, something that she finds “de-calibrating yet inspiring”. The actor further elaborates, “After attending a festival, you are even more charged and passionate to come back to your country and add something that you never did before.”

Addressing stereotypes about Indian cinema that she observed on international platforms, the Angrezi Medium (2020) actor remarks, “While singing and dancing are integral parts of our culture, our films reflect our versatility. We need to showcase our diversity to the world, as people still associate singing and dancing with Indian films at festivals.”

Reflecting on her experience at the Black Nights Film Festival, Madan shares, “Last year, when I went there with my film Sanaa, I learned so many things about my craft, and my mind opened so much about cinema since I got to see so many movies from all over the world. It was just fantastic to know that they wanted me back there.”