Actor Radhikka Madan says she still “begs for auditions” despite earning praise for her performances, admitting that every project feels like a “do or die” situation. The actor, recently appreciated for her work in Subedaar by filmmaker Hansal Mehta, will next be seen in Lust Stories 3 in a segment directed by Shakun Batra alongside Ali Fazal.

“I have been a huge fan of Shakun’s work and when I got to know about the film, I begged for an audition for Lust Stories 3 and by God’s grace, I got it,” says Radhikka, who made her acting debut with TV show Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi before transitioning to films with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Pataakha in 2018.

Despite building a credible body of work, the actor says she cannot afford complacency. “I can’t afford to give an average performance. There are a lot of people in line for every role. Every work is a do or die situation for me. If I need to survive, I need to kill it,” she says.

Radhikka adds that she has no hesitation in chasing opportunities. “Even now, if there is a project people are not thinking of me for, I beg for an audition and I’m very comfortable with it. I don’t have that ego. I have a problem when I don’t even get the opportunity to audition and am crossed off because of my last name,” she says.

Radhikka also credits “actors like Kangana Ranaut, Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt and Tabu ma’am” for paving the way for stronger female-led roles in Bollywood.