An action series about a powerful female gangster running a matriarchal society with an iron fist — we’re all for it. As are Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte, who headline Akka that dropped on Netflix today. But not many know that writer-director Dharmaraj Shetty’s crime drama series, which wrapped its principal photography in 2024, had to wait two years to reach the audience. Why? We’ve heard that the show underwent several edits and reshoots to tone down the violence.

Set in the fictional city of Pernuru in the 1980s, the YRF Entertainment-produced Akka tells the story of Suresh’s Bhavani who rules the matriarchal society and faces an attack from Apte’s Rudra, an outsider. Action understandably is a big part of the narrative.

A source told mid-day, “Since the period crime drama revolved around badass, ruthless women, its visual treatment was gory initially. But after watching the rushes, the makers felt that the brutality could be toned down. So, some of the violent scenes and expletives were cut, some sequences were reshot to make it a well-rounded story rooted in emotions. Both YRF and Netflix are mindful of audience sensitivity and understand how much is too much when it comes to action. At the same time, they felt it was a powerful script. They decided to take the middle path to tell the story to viewers. They were also careful to not include action for the heck of it; the fights are justified in the gangster drama.”

There was another reason for the delay — the show’s grand scale. The source added, “Such a project involves several stages of creative development and production. Akka has been mounted on a grand scale.”

mid-day reached out to YRF Entertainment and Netflix India. Both didn’t respond till press time.

Sex has always been a taboo topic in Indian society, often brushed under the carpet and not spoken about openly. However, actor Abhishek Banerjee, who recently starred in Lust Stories 3, feels that the current generation is changing that narrative by coming out and speaking more openly about things like wants and desires.

“Probably, when I was in college, I used to always feel that why don't people really talk about sex more openly, about their desires and needs. It was always about going indirectly but I think being direct is really cool. And this generation is doing it very well. Gen Z's as we call them. They are very vocal about whatever they want and need. If other people can do that too, especially the way the younger ones are doing, hopefully India will change over the period of next 10 years,” he says.

Abhishek Banerjee also gives credit to the millennials who evolved with time and are now inculcating that openness in their kids today.

“I really feel the millennial parents are doing a great job because I keep seeing this around my relatives and friends. It's opening up at least in the metros. Even schools are also taking note of it. In our time, it didn’t happen much. In biology, when that one chapter of reproduction would come, everybody would be like ‘oh’ and the teachers would also not talk about it. Now, at least it's a little more open than what it was,” he insists.

As for his part in his recent film, Banerjee admits he felt quite special being the object of affection of two women – Radhika Apte and Konkona Sen Sharma – in the film.

“For the first time, I have been objectified, that too with Radhika (looking at me) and it felt great,” he quips. However, his character falls under the grey shade in terms of loyalty. In his story, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Apte and Sharma’s characters decide to swing with their husbands.

Ask Banerjee how one decides when it is right or wrong to explore such avenues, and he says, “Usually when somebody faces neglect in a relationship, they would succumb to such temptations and that's exactly what I felt about my character. I really thought that Shona (Sen Sharma) and I are good, but something is not working out between her and me and probably this is not the first time he's done it.”

 

Over the past few years, the rise of toxic, hyper-aggressive male characters in Hindi cinema has sparked debate, especially after films like Animal (2023) and more recently Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat and Tere Ishq Mein (2025) found box-office success. Actor Radhika Apte, whose latest film Saali Mohabbat features her as a woman who murders her husband after discovering his infidelity, says such extreme acts should never be romanticised as gestures of love.

“That’s the problem,” she says, adding, “What happens in the film isn’t passionate love. It happens because of accumulated injustice and the way she has been treated. I don’t like to glorify that as love. This is where we go wrong.” She adds, “In our culture, these acts are mistaken as love. But it’s not really love when we have to keep compromising our happiness to please somebody.”

Radhika says cinema often confuses control with passion. “Whether it’s a husband, his family or even your parents, doing whatever they want you to do is not love. If someone expects you to sacrifice your happiness to obey them, that’s not love. That’s just power and control. And I’m sick of it being called love or respect.”

Calling on the industry to rethink the trend, she says, “It’s awful. We are glorifying obsession and power as passion, and that’s a big mistake.”

As the debate around fixed work hours in the film industry continues, actor Radhika Apte has lent her voice to the demand, saying it is “not possible” for her to work without clearly capped shifts. The conversation gathered momentum earlier this year after reports suggested actor Deepika Padukone was ousted from filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit after asking for fixed eight-hour shifts as a new mother.

Radhika, who became a mother last December, says that the real problem lies in how workdays quietly stretch far beyond what contracts promise. “I will not be able to work unless the producers now agree to 12-hour shifts. And by 12 hours, I mean including travel, makeup and hair. Otherwise, we are basically working for 16 hours,” the 40-year-old tells us.

Explaining the math, the actor points out that actors are often on set for a minimum of 14 hours, with extended shifts, followed by long commutes. “You can’t be away for 16 hours. Otherwise, you will never get to see your child,” she says, adding how many shoots also lack weekly offs and even proper lunch breaks.

The actor, seen in the films Last Days and Saali Mohabbat this year, shares, “A lot of work came to me this year, but I’m not taking up anything till April... I will not be able to work on most projects because a lot of people won’t agree to this.”

With Saali Mohabbat that premières today, Radhika Apte returns with yet another unconventional story. That is what the actor has continuously sought with her projects — be it the all-women drama, Parched (2015), or the black comedy, Monica O My Darling (2022).

“Creatively, we need to be more fearless. There’s this stupid notion floating around — yeh kaam nahin karega, woh karega — and it’s clearly not true. We need to stop fearing stories before we even tell them,” says the actor, in her signature candid style.

That’s not the only change she is hoping to see. Ask her about an immediate thing she’d change about the industry, and she says, “Work ethics. We need basics like punctuality, payments on time, lunch breaks, and proper shifts. Our business is so consuming that people barely have lives outside of it. That needs to shift.”

What doesn’t shift is Apte’s love for complex characters. In the Zee5 film, which also stars Divyenndu and marks the directorial debut of actor Tisca Chopra, Apte plays Smita, a homemaker who is the primary suspect in her husband’s murder. It isn’t lost on her that she is constantly drawn to morally ambiguous characters.

“You cannot judge your characters. You have to love every single one you play, and for that, you need tremendous empathy. Acting has made me more empathetic. You start looking at people with compassion. When someone says, ‘I did this,’ you instinctively ask, ‘Why?’”

It helped that Chopra had the answers to all her questions. “Tisca was to originally play her, so she had a connection with Smita. I came in from the outside. So, I scrutinized the character more, and Tisca was always on Smita’s side,” she laughs.

Saying no was out of the question when Saali Mohabbat came Anurag Kashyap’s way. After all, the Radhika Apte and Divyenndu-starrer was among the first few productions of designer Manish Malhotra, who is among his close friends. Couple that with the taut script of director Tisca Chopra’s howdunnit, and Kashyap was sold on the idea of featuring in a cameo.

“What drew me to Saali Mohabbat was, first and foremost, the script. I’ve also had a wonderful experience working with Tisca earlier on the short film Chhuri [2017]. So, the opportunity to collaborate again was an immediate yes,” he says. Then there was, of course, Malhotra.

“I’ve admired Manish since my first film Satya [1998], where he styled Urmila [Matondkar]. I have turned to him without hesitation whenever I’ve been unsure about what to wear for a major event. When he told me he was launching his production house and that Saali Mohabbat would be among his first films, there was no question of saying no.”

Kashyap, who enjoys his time in front of the camera as much as behind it, says sharing screen space with Divyenndu, Anshumaan Pushkar, and Sharat Saxena was a delight. But he has one minor grouse with the Zee5 movie.

“Unfortunately, I did not get to work with Radhika this time,” rues Kashyap, who directed her in Sacred Games and a short film in Lust Stories (2020).

Motherhood has a way of shifting priorities, but for Radhika Apte, it’s also pulled back the curtain on a long-ignored truth: Is the Hindi film industry compatible for mothers? Being a hands-on parent Radhika is also trying to hold space for her creative life. Excerpts of the interview are as followed...

Now a mother, Radhika describes this phase as both overwhelming and extraordinary. Ask her if becoming a mother has changed her creative lens and Radhika, as candid as she gets, replies, "Five and a half months is a very small time to give you that answer. I'm still in the thick of it," she answers as she speaks to us from London.

"We live in London, we believe in doing stuff on our own. So, we have zero help. We have no nanny, no night nurse, no cook, nobody. We do everything on our own. So, it's been very hectic, but we like it. Babies famously don't sleep. Every day is different, to be honest with you. It's been incredible and it's been very hard at the same time so far. You do look at world from a very different lens because you have a child now," she adds.

However, while she is still finding her foot as a mother, she has deduced something on the work front. "With work, what has definitely changed, is now I've realized that how we work in India is just never going to be a possibility for me. Because in India a normal shift is minimum 12 hours. That doesn't include makeup. So, with hair and makeup it's about 13 hours, plus the travel. And no shoot finishes on time. That's 15 hours plus when it doesn't finish up on time. I've shot mostly for 16 -18 hours in my life. And that's just never a possibility anymore. I can't do it because if I do that, I'll never get to see my daughter. So, I've just realized that that's impossible. So, I must have different terms in my contracts now and a lot of people are going to have problems with that. That's made me wonder - there's so many women on film sets. We talk about gender equality and there's so many women in lots of departments. Then I want to know how many of them have children. Because it's assumed in our culture that it's okay for men not to see their children. But mothers can't afford to do that. So not a lot of mothers with babies can possibly work in our industry. Unless they have their babies dragged on set. So, I was just like, 'Wow, this is going to have to change how I work'. I have two projects that I'm about to sign and I'm gonna have to change how the contracts read. But that's really been an eye opener for me," the Andhadhun actress elaborates.

Through it all, Radhika finds strength in the shared load at home—something she and her partner, musician Benedict Taylor, have committed to wholeheartedly. "We're trying to find a balance. I realize that it's a longer process because every day is different. However, cliched this line is, it's actually true. Every single day is different. The baby's needs change, the baby's sleep changes, your emotion change. Everything changes every day. But we are trying to find that. We both have not given up what we need, and we give each other time to do that. I don't feel like I've just completely gotten myself buried under mother duties. I'm not completely sacrificing my entire self for it. And my partner and I share everything, like absolutely everything. We're so equal in, in how we are raising her. It's been really lovely to learn to get to know your partner better," she states.

Fresh off a wave of festival acclaim for Sister Midnight, Radhika shares, "We’ve had really great reviews everywhere. It’s actually very validating." She admits she is "Not sure how it will do theatrically". "I'm very excited to see what happens because it's so different," she signs off.

Wishes do come true, it seems. A fortnight ago, when filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane posted a picture of Konkona Sen Sharma and Radhika Apte on Instagram, the comments section was flooded with fans expressing their wish to see them on screen together. Now, mid-day has learnt that the two powerhouse performers have indeed joined forces for Motwane’s segment in the third instalment of Lust Stories.

A source reveals, “This is a casting coup. Radhika and Konkona have long admired each other’s work. With Vikram at the helm of a fantastic script, this felt like the perfect opportunity for them to come together.”

While this is the director’s first brush with the popular Netflix anthology, the actors are not new to this world. Apte had featured in Anurag Kashyap’s segment of Lust Stories in 2018, while Sen Sharma directed an acclaimed short, featuring Tillotama Shome and Amruta Subhash, in Lust Stories 2 (2023).

Another insider tells us that Abhishek Banerjee of Stree fame has also joined the cast. “Abhishek is a new entrant to this universe. The shoot will commence soon,” adds the insider.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui returns as Inspector Jatil Yadav to investigate another gruelling case in the sequel of Raat Akeli Hai. The Netflix film, directed by Honey Trehan, will kick off from where it started. The first schedule began on January 9 in Delhi. The second edition will bring back four principal characters, including Radhika Apte, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Ila Arun.

Raat Akeli Hai followed the journey of a small-town cop who is asked to investigate the death of a local politician. The film received critical acclaim for its direction while Siddiqui won awards for his performance as a quirky cop.

“The sequel will be a fresh crime story. The only connection from Raat Akeli Hai is Radhika [who plays Radha, his paramour], Tigmanshu as senior SP Lalji Shukla IPS and Ila Arun [as Sarita Kumari, Jatil’s mother]. The film opens with Jatil enjoying domestic bliss with Radha, till a new series of crimes unfold and he is asked to solve the case,” reveals a source.

Raat Akeli Hai 2 will be shot across four Indian cities, Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur and Mumbai in a two-month schedule. The film is expected to wrap up by March 12 in Mumbai. “Everything is being shot in a hush-hush manner as the OTT channel wants to announce the sequel in a planned manner,” informs the source, adding that Apte will join the schedule in February.

“Radhika gave birth to a baby in December last year. She is currently on maternity leave and will join the cast and crew from February. Her character in the sequel is expected to be darker. There will be a twist to it. A lot of Honey’s research is based on real-life situations and cops so there is a lot of authenticity in his work,” inform the source.

Actor Radhika Apte took to social media on Friday, to announce the arrival of her daughter. Apte, who welcomed her first child with musician-husband Benedict Taylor a week ago, shared a pic of her breastfeeding the baby while operating a laptop.

In her latest insta post, the actor gave fans a delightful glimpse of the little one. In the pic caption, Apte revealed that she had already returned to her first work meeting post delivery. She captioned the photo: “First work meeting back after birth with our one-week-old at my breast (sic).” Although the caption didn’t disclose the gender of her baby, the hashtag, ‘#itsagirl’, gave it away.

Soon after she shared the post, many celebrities, including actors Divyenndu Sharma, Tisca Chopra, Gulshan Devaiah, Vijay Varma, and directors Neeraj Gheywan and Zoya Akhtar, congratulated Apte.

As Saali Mohabbat premièred at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) last month, director Tisca Chopra felt two contradictory emotions. On the one hand, she felt validated as her maiden directorial feature received praise; on the other hand, she remembers being harsh to her own work throughout the screening.

“I am hyper critical. Even as an actor, while going back home after a shoot, I am redoing everything in my head. I think, ‘I should’ve done this or that.’ I’m trying to be less compulsive about things now,” she smiles.

In Saali Mohabbat, Chopra has brought an eclectic cast of Radhika Apte, Divyenndu and Anurag Kashyap. Considering Kashyap is a prolific filmmaker, did she take any advice from him? “Anurag would give suggestions as an actor, not as a director. For instance, he told me to stage a shot a certain way to save time. And we did,” she says, adding that she and Kashyap go back a long way.

“He has never directed me and that’s a big grouse I have with him. He is a no-filter human being and that makes a quality performer because he is receptive. He was on board even before Manish [Malhotra, producer] was attached to it. On my first day as a feature film director, I was directing Anurag Kashyap!”

The other joy she experienced was directing Apte, who was her first choice for the protagonist. Chopra shares, “I had two people in mind. Radhika was number one, and there was another actor. But Radhika said yes, so we didn’t go to the other person. Radhika is an actor extraordinaire.”

For the film, Chopra has crafted a thriller in which Apte’s protagonist narrates a story of infidelity to a group of guests at her home. Was bringing a female gaze to the theme of infidelity important to her? The director views it differently.

“Infidelity isn’t the centre of the story. It was more about taking certain roles for granted, like the doormat, the wallflower, the simple person, and so on. But when pushed against the wall, how far will a person go? Society perceives women as being weak. But I want to question it in this film.”

For many female actors across Bollywood and Hollywood, the decision to turn filmmaker stems from a lack of characters. But Chopra’s reason is simple. “A story needs to be told in its own way, not as per the market. The idea is to make a story best for itself and to make sure it’s cocooned without it becoming a bastard child. I will act in some films, and write, direct and produce others.”

As the year is nearing its end, it’s a new start for Manish Malhotra. The fashion designer is taking his maiden production, Saali Mohabbat, to the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. The Radhika Apte, Divyenndu and Anurag Kashyap-led suspense drama, which marks actor Tisca Chopra’s foray into direction, will premiere at the film festival on November 22. Malhotra was scouting for a powerful story to venture into filmmaking, when Saali Mohabbat came his way.

“The moment I read its script, I was drawn to its intense and thrilling narrative. At Stage5 Production, we work closely with directors to bring their vision onto the screen with artistry and care. Tisca Chopra’s commitment to crafting this story with such complexity made it all the more compelling,” says the designer-turned-producer.

Jyoti Deshpande, President of Media and Content Business at Reliance Industries, shared her happiness on the news, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Manish Malhotra, who is bringing his creative brilliance from the world of fashion to film—a natural progression for a visionary who has always made impactful statements. With Saali Mohabbat, Manish extends his legacy of creativity, now crafting stories that captivate just as his designs have. Saali Mohabbat is a thrilling and layered story that aligns with our mission to present unique stories from India. We’re honored to debut this film at IFFI and reinforce our dedication to meaningful storytelling.”

In Saali Mohabbat, Apte plays a homemaker who is telling a story of infidelity, deceit and murder to a group of people. While her listeners are riveted, one of them gets the message she intended. First-time director Chopra is thrilled that her ‘howdunit’ is premiering at the prestigious film gala.

She says, “Saali Mohabbat is a story close to my heart, and I’m grateful to Manish Malhotra and Jio Studios for trusting in my vision and supporting my journey as a director. I couldn’t be more excited to present it at IFFI, which celebrates diverse and bold voices in cinema.”

On October 16, actress Radhika Apte appeared at the BFI London Film Festival flaunting her baby bump and announcing her first pregnancy. While other celebs often choose creative Instagram posts to announce their pregnancy, Radhika decided to walk the red carpet. “I thought maybe they wouldn't notice the bump, but it was too big,” Radhika quips. She adds, “If there were no premier, you would probably have never known. I was never going to post saying, ‘Oh, I'm pregnant’. I was never going to post saying, ‘Oh, we had a child’. It's private.”

Radhika sits down to chat with us from London over a Zoom call and is candid to admit the challenges of pregnancy, which is often romanticized in popular culture. Ask her how pregnancy is treating her, and she replies, “Not very good, actually. I haven’t slept for five nights. The third-trimester insomnia has kicked in, and I just don't get any sleep, so it's been quite bad.”

Talking about her pregnancy journey so far, the Sacred Games actress shares, “I never had any plans to have children. So, this has been quite a quite a twist and quite a big turning point. It was a lot to process. I never really intended to or wanted children. (So) I also never looked into what pregnancy means or what happens when you're pregnant. What are the changes that the body goes through? There's so much sacredness attached to pregnancy that nobody tells you the truth because pregnancy is very hard. Pregnancy is not fun. Some people have a better pregnancy; for some, it's easier than other people. But it's a very subjective case. Pregnancy is very hard, and bodies constantly go through very big changes. So, it's been a hard journey. I do not wish to lie about it. It's been very hard to prepare yourself psychologically and physically for what is coming, especially if you're a very active person.” 

She adds, "The first trimester I was having such a hard time. I had terrible bloating. I was terribly constipated. I had nausea. I was filming at 40 degrees for three months straight. I was having a meltdown all the time. And people were telling me you need to be happy because you're having a child. I wanted to punch them. I'm telling you that I'm suffering and you're telling me to be happy."

The Andhadhun actress admits she and her London-based, musician husband Benedict Taylor “didn't really want to have children”, however, their initial reaction to the pregnancy was “a funny story”. “We were shocked and in denial till about two weeks ago. We don't even know how to dress a baby. Finally, it's sinking in now.”

Benedict has been a supportive partner throughout their first pregnancy, however, Radhika believes it should be the norm. “It’s also his baby, he has to be supportive. However, I do feel lucky because I feel so cared for. He looks after me. I just have to say, I feel like eating this, and that's there. But it really should be the norm. My heart goes out to those women who don’t have a supportive partner or have a dysfunctional marriage. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for them.”

During her first trimester, Radhika was working on two projects. However, her experience on set was the opposite. “There was one project which was not pregnancy friendly, in any shape or form. People were not good about it. I don't want to speak about it too much, but there was no consideration that there's a there's a pregnant person. I used to be in a difficult place, and it was not catered to at all. The other shoot that I was on was the opposite. They were so considerate. I felt so relieved and taken care of,” she recalls.

Radhika and Benedict’s baby is due in December. The actress intends to get back to work quite soon - “In March,” she mentions. Ask her if she has thought about what kind of parenting would she opt for and she says, “I'm quite old school. I believe that parents come first and not the child.”

She further explains, “People feel so scared to be called bad parents and be judged. There's so much online about what one should do and what one shouldn't do. There's so much pressure that everything becomes about the child. And I've seen a lot of my friends who have kids be unhappy for a long time. They love that they have a child but they are not very happy, they can't do anything they want to do. It's not selfish to give self-importance. There's a lot of judgement around parenting, and I don't care what people think of me and my parenting skills. My happiness is important.”

Most directors will tell you how the filming of an intimate scene is among the most delicate parts of a shoot, as it requires comfort and trust between actor and director.

Over the past few years, Bollywood has been increasingly roping in intimacy coordinators based on the needs of a project. The Shahid Kapoor-Kriti Sanon starrer Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, which released recently, had multiple intimate scenes, one of which was trimmed by the CBFC.

Director Amit Joshi, who shared credits with Aradhana Sah, told us: “It’s important for actors and directors to build trust before the filming begins. Scenes are discussed in detail in advance so that actors can state their reservations, if any. We ensured our actors were comfortable. Today, even actors understand the creative process.”

We spoke to intimacy coordinators, directors, and actors to understand the challenges that intimate scenes pose and how those are overcome during the shoot.

The actors sign a contract document called the nudity rider which details the intimate scenes and the fact that the actor has agreed to shoot them

- Knowing the script: Understanding what kind of intimacy scenes — kissing scenes, disrobing, simulated sex — the script needs. Workshops are conducted to make the actors feel comfortable with each other

- Discussions with the director: The coordinators discuss with the director what they are looking to portray

- Detailing and checklist: The scene is finalized after thrashing out the minute details, such as where the actor will place his hands while shooting a kissing scene.

(Inputs by Akshay Muraka, intimacy choreographer)

“I was working as Shakun Batra’s assistant prepping for Gehraiyaan when I joined (Hollywood intimacy coordinator) Amanda Blumenthal’s training programme. This helped when we were shooting the intimate scenes in the film. In web series such as Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo, and Four More Shots Please! (S3), collaborating closely with directors has given me the freedom to push artistic boundaries. At times, the actors have already figured out what works for them. So, just a conversation is enough to make them understand how the scene will work.”

“During my first few films like Khamosh Pani and BA Pass, we would improvise intimate scenes on set. As an actor, my concern with intimate scenes is to create the right emotions. I have always been at ease with these scenes. I played a lesbian character in Four More Shots Please! (S3). Rehearsals for intimate scenes play an important role.”

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Kausar Munir, lyricist who has written songs like Doobe Doobe for Gehraiyaan and Main Pareshaan for Ishaqzaade says, "When one thinks of songs portraying female desires in films, the first song that comes to mind is 'Na jao saiyaan' from Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam which had pathos, longing, and oppression, capturing the beauty of the scene. But that song was more about a woman who is wronged and oppressed. Many of Gulzar Saheb's songs, such as 'Aaj kal paon zameen par nahi parte mere,' when looked at from a woman's perspective, are songs about female desire. In fact, 'mera kuch samaan' is tinged with longing, desire, and loss. Gulzar saheb comes out as a champion of (writing) female desires in songs. Even a song like Kajra Re, which is kind of a club song with the line 'aankhein bhi kamaal karti hain, personal se sawaal karti hain', is the ultimate flirtatious line, layered with context where she is asking -'what's next? where do you want to take it now?' Many of Kaifi Azmi's songs have also expressed female desire. One of the best songs on female desires is Jaan Nisar Akhtar's 'Ae-dil-e-nadaan,' with the second line 'Aarzoo Kya Hai, Zustajoo Kya Hai,' beautifully depicts desire."

She adds, "When people, and by people I mean mostly men, think of an item song, it's often very different from what female desire actually encompasses—it's much more varied."

Talking about her songs, she says,"'Gehraiyaan' is particularly fascinating; it goes into forbidden desires. But it is for both men and women. I was asked to capture the film's essence in the song. I coined the word 'besafar' for the song, which many people thought was an actual word. Similarly, I created the word 'Ishaqzaade,' which, in fact, is not a real word. Reflecting on it now, 'Main Pareshaan Pareshan Pareshan' from Ishaqzaade is also about female desire. What else would she be pareshaan about?"

Actor Gajraj Rao decided to give podcasting a shot after Amit Doshi, Head, IVM Podcasts-Pratilipi, shared his vision for Chitthiyaan, a fiction anthology; BAFTA-nominated actor Adarsh Gourav recording for Desi Down Under, an Audible original coming-of-age series, also voiced by Prajakta Koli and Taaruk Raina; Marvel’s Wastelanders: Star-Lord, which released in June, sees Saif Ali Khan make his audio debut as superhero Peter Quill

When audiobook giant Audible marked its entry into the country in November 2018, it did so in the most filmy-way possible—The bestselling non-fiction title, Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Stories of Women from the Ganglands, which it chose to lead with in its Indian audiobook roster, was recorded by actors Rajkummar Rao, Radhika Apte and Kalki Koechlin. It was, in a way, a sign of things to come.

Five years on, audio platforms have started creating original fiction and podcast content keeping stars in mind.

Since the beginning of this year, Audible has launched a robust slate of original fiction titles, helmed by some of the biggest names in the movie business. In February, the platform announced an association with Marvel Entertainment to bring a Hindi Audible series, Marvel’s Wastelanders, with a star-studded cast that includes Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharad Kelkar, Masaba Gupta, Prajakta Koli and Mithila Palkar.

“Following this, we dropped Social Distancing, written by Chetan Bhagat and voiced by Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi. Desi Down Under was another coming-of-age series voiced by Prajakta Koli, Taaruk Raina and Adarsh Gourav that explores cross-border storytelling,” shares Karen Appathurai Wiggins, VP and Head of Content, APAC, Audible, in an email interview.

Some of the other popular titles from the last few years include Kaali Awaazein by Amitabh Bachchan, who incidentally started his career with the All India Radio; The Sandman: Act I in Hindi, voiced by Tabu, Vijay Varma, Manoj Bajpayee, Adarsh Gourav, Kubbra Sait, Sushant Divgikar, Tillotama Shome, and Neeraj Kabi; Baby Doll starring Richa Chadha and Jaideep Ahlawat; and Sasuraal Wonder Phool helmed by Sanya Malhotra and Varun Sharma.

For an industry that’s still nascent and growing, adding actors to the mix has been good for being heard. For instance, Wiggins explains that in bringing a global franchise such as Marvel in Hindi, and with a localized star cast, the goal was to reach wider audiences.

“Since we wanted to bring these stories in Hindi, it became evident that we had to work with top-tier talent. Our aim was to ensure that the actors fully embody their respective characters and infuse their distinct personalities to bring these characters to life in a compelling way,” she says.

Late last month, IVM Podcasts’ announced its first-ever Hindi audio fiction anthology, Chitthiyaan, led by actor Gajraj Rao. Rao plays Prasad Joshi, who retires after serving in Indian Postal Services for 40 years. A box of undelivered letters that he receives from the post office, which coincides with his son’s decision to switch careers, sets Joshi on a completely different path.

“I’ve been an avid podcast listener for three to four years; my interest actually grew during the COVID-19 pandemic,” shares the actor.

Despite this, Rao admits being reluctant when approached for Chitthiyaan. “It was an entirely uncharted territory for me. It felt like stepping into a new realm,” he says, Amit Doshi, Head, IVM Podcasts-Pratilipi and the show’s director, Safura Ubaid, eased him into the process. “Their passion and enthusiasm were contagious, and I felt compelled to take the leap.”

There were different challenges. “Podcasting and traditional filmmaking are distinct in several ways,” says Rao. “In podcasting, the script takes centre-stage. The responsibility of conveying the narrative falls heavily on the words and sound design, as there are no visuals to rely upon. It’s a medium that demands a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling through the auditory senses.

“I came to realise the intricacies involved in maintaining the audience’s engagement without visual aids. It’s about finding that delicate balance between delivering a compelling story while ensuring that the content remains intellectually stimulating.”

Doshi says IVM has always “believed in the power of audio fiction”. If the podcasting network took this long it was because, “we were looking for the right project with the right script and the right cast. Everything came together beautifully for this project.” An actor like Rao helming their fiction debut, Doshi says, has given them the much-needed boost. “Gajraj is phenomenal. His performance was incredible. Working with talent like that forced our entire team to raise the bar.”

For actors Aahana Kumra and Gaurav Chopra, who’ve voiced Hindi thriller podcasts I Hear You (Spotify) and Murder (Storytel) respectively, it was curiosity about the medium that lured them. “It was quite overwhelming,” confesses Kumra.

“I had never acted in front of a mic. This is nothing like dubbing. But when I started, I genuinely started enjoying it.”

As an actor, Kumra says, good work is usually hard to come by. “Podcast fiction has allowed me to discover different opportunities.” It also takes away from the obsession of how you look on camera. “For a change, I focused on how I sounded,” she says.

Chopra, who is the official Hindi voice for Thor (from the Avengers), says the opportunity came naturally because of his other audio work. “I tend to be a bit choosy about [audio] projects,” he says over a phone call.

“It’s something I do on the side, but still an extension of what I do as an actor. I still need to act when I am trying to recreate something for the audio medium… say, a scene where I am jumping or lifting something heavy. Because the medium is growing, it’s also interesting.”

Actor, model, anchor Suchitra Pillai, who was part of the Audible Hindi Original Chillahat, a story about a tragically orphaned heiress, shares this sentiment: “Yes, I definitely see myself exploring the medium in the future.” She recalls playing Sita in BBC Radio 4’s The Ramayana (1994), a 14-part series. “To be able to emote, tell a story, and keep listeners glued to their headphones helps actors push their craft,” she says, “and that’s why it makes it more interesting. It’s about getting things across just with your voice.”

With more people today turning to podcasting, she feels this is a good time for actors to experiment in the space. “For any artiste, especially an audio artiste, the only way is up right now.”  

But podcasting is not everyone’s cup of tea, feels actor-director Mantra Mugdh, who runs the production house MantraMugdh and has collaborated on several audio podcasts—he is also artistic director of Marvel’s Wastelanders.

While he has noticed previously sceptical actors taking to the medium, audio OTT requires a bit of unlearning and learning. “This is a blind man’s television,” he says, “Your voice paints pictures on the canvas of the listeners’ minds. Most actors use multiple tools to convey their emotions, and the majority of those are related to the body. In audio dramas, all of these are useless. The eyes, the physique, the clothes, the style, the make-up—all go out of the window. All you have is your voice. And that’s where the magic lies. Of course, it is an added advantage if you are a celebrity. People might visit your show following a star, but they will stay only if the story is gripping enough and the performances are honest.”

 

While many believe that the audio market is currently saturated, Wiggins points to a FICCI-EY study, Audio OTT market size forecast in India FY 2021-2030, which “states that the market is expected to grow up to $1.1 billion in the next four years and up to $2.5 billion by the end of the financial year 2030”.

“In 2022, we saw a 39 per cent increase in paid member listening hours for our service in India and exponential growth in our free tier,” he says, “Given the popularity of our titles, we are bullish that this will continue. The recent success of our titles, such as Marvel’s Wastelanders: Star-Lord, stands testament to this upward trajectory… We anticipate this to continue as people increasingly take to audio-first services for entertainment, relaxation.”

Rohan Nayak, co-Founder of Pocket FM, a global audio series platform, references a survey conducted among 9,616 Internet users in India. “It unveiled some intriguing trends in audio content consumption preferences,” he shares over email. “The dominant format turned out to be audio series, with 41 per cent of respondents indicating a preference for it. Music came in a close second at 29 per cent, while audiobooks and podcasts were favoured by 20 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.”

Rising screen fatigue, he says, has contributed to its popularity. “The audio series concept is in an experimental phase, and we anticipate a wave of innovations in the near future.” At present, Pocket FM has more than 15 series that have garnered over 100 million plays, with another 15-20 series surpassing 50 million plays. Nayak says that instead of cherry-picking from the existing bundle of movie actors, who are also stellar voice artistes, Pocket FM has been looking at bringing new talent to the fore. “At the heart of our thriving audio series library is our vibrant creator community, which comprises both talented writers and voice actors,” he says, “Our mission is clear: To identify, nurture, and elevate new artistes and writers, transforming them into audio celebrities in their own right.”

Mugdh doesn’t feel that actors are stealing jobs away from existing voice artistes. What, he feels, it will do is make the space more competitive and democratic. “Voice artistes are industry veterans, and visual actors will have to strive to bring out their ‘sound’ performance to find a way into the listeners’ hearts through their ears, and carve out their place. Mind you, the voice industry has a massive following, and listeners are accustomed to a certain level of performance. If you fall short, be ready for criticism.”

With inputs by Hiren Kotwani

Suchitra Pillai and Karen Appathurai Wiggins

Radhika Apte’s accent became a hot topic after clips from a recent interview started making the rounds on social media. But the actor, who stays in London for the most part of the year, doesn’t fret about the murmurs. Instead, she finds it amusing that people find the time to “comment on anything and everything”.

“First of all, I don’t read anything [about myself on social media]. So, I am not aware about such things. Secondly, I find it quite funny. I don’t take it personally,” the 37-year-old tells us, adding, “I have realised, especially looking at social media, that people have a lot of time to comment on everything.”

The Mrs Undercover actor, who is married to British musician Benedict Taylor, admits that at times, she does struggle with her accent since she’s been ”living in the UK for the last 12 years”.

She elaborates, “For the last few years, I have lived in London more than I’ve lived in India. So, my accent is [like that]. In England, I don’t get roles unless my accent is completely English. I have to really work hard to get that right. I still can’t do an English accent, but I’m trying, I practise and work on it. And when I am in India, I can’t have an English accent. So, sometimes, when I am talking, things do get mixed up. For instance, if I’ve lived in London for three months and then come to India for my interviews, my accent is more English.”

While she is aware and conscious of her accent, Apte finds the social media conversation around it “funny”. “I don’t give a sh** about these things. In fact, I find them quite entertaining,” she wraps up.

When debutant director Akshat Ajay Sharma approached Anurag Kashyap to play the antagonist in Haddi, the filmmaker told him to find another actor. “If you don’t find anyone, I’ll do it,” he promised. Months later, Kashyap was on set playing the antagonist to Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s titular character in the ZEE5 film.

So, how was it being directed by one’s mentee? After all, Sharma had worked as an assistant director on several of Kashyap’s projects, including Sacred Games and Manmarziyaan (2019).

“When it’s my film, I give everybody [space], but because it was his film, I was watching if he was doing it right or wrong. I was stricter. I also cribbed a lot, asking him, ‘Kya kara raha hai mujhse?’” laughs Kashyap, before admitting, “I was the biggest diva on the set. I felt like the papa, and they were all my children because so many of the cast and crew members have worked on my films.”

In that sense, the enthusiastic storyteller is “a reluctant actor”. Which begs the question: Has any actor ever shown reluctance to feature in his film? One would assume that most actors want a Kashyap project on their résumé, but the director reveals he often faces rejection.

“Every actor is reluctant to act in my film after becoming successful. Everybody wants to be a star eventually. I am a favourite of actors when they are starting out. After they’ve had a breakthrough, they say, ‘Sir, pata nahin yeh film chalegi ya nahin. Mere career ka kya hoga?’ Except Nawaz, Huma [Qureshi] and Radhika [Apte], every actor has said this to me.”

When you’re featuring in a single episode that only takes a few days to be shot, you hardly expect an overwhelming response. But Radhika Apte’s episode in the second season of Made In Heaven has become a dialogue-starter, and for good reason. The Neeraj Ghaywan-helmed episode showcases a Dalit-Buddhist wedding, a rare depiction in mainstream Indian cinema. While the episode is being hailed, the larger discourse of late has been about casting actors with lived-in experience. Where does Apte stand on it?

She starts with, “It’s called acting, isn’t it? We don’t cast Muslim actors for Muslim parts, and Christian for Christian parts. There are [two] subjects here —one is casting the right actor. [The other is that] people need representation, highlighting how people of different castes need equal opportunities at work. It’s not fair to mix it up. Who you are cannot be the only part you get, then the experience of an actor is gone. I will only get upper-middle class, Hindu women parts. The character is not confined to its religion, caste or geography alone. We are talking about the emotional liberation of a person on screen.”

The episode tells the story of Apte’s Pallavi Menke, a Columbia alumnus who came out as a Dalit through her book, pushing for a Dalit-Buddhist wedding. Gender is equally crucial here, a two-fold marginalizing force at work.

“I am a woman who has experienced discrimination, humiliation and disrespect. I acknowledge how it varies in degrees,” says Apte, adding that she modelled her character on Ghaywan.

“I based Pallavi on Neeraj. His experiences made their way into the performance. I can call myself woke, but when the episode came out, I realized from the responses how large the issue is. There has never been a [Dalit wedding] representation in mainstream cinema.”

Which brings us to Yashica Dutt and Sumit Baudh, the latter credited by the makers in a social media post for using the term ‘coming out’ in the Indian caste-identity context. After the episode streamed, Dutt called out the makers on social media for not crediting her while allegedly appropriating her life story. In a recent interview to mid-day, director Ghaywan said that he had woven his life experiences into creating the protagonist (Pallavi Menke is me, Aug 20).

Apte adds, “There are a lot of people Neeraj and I discussed. Of course, Yashica was one of the inspirations Neeraj had, and her book [Coming Out as a Dalit] was phenomenal. But the only person we discussed for the character’s emotional journey is Neeraj. His stories about his time in Pune are scary and horrific.”

“I’ve wanted to collaborate with Radhika for a while. So when the character of Pallavi Menke came up, we approached her. We felt she’d be perfect because she is a talented actor, who also has the knowledge and sensitivity to understand how important Pallavi’s narrative is. Radhika had the right blend of strength and vulnerability that was required to make an impact. Also, she has a million-dollar smile.”