Actor Katrina Kaif recently faced criticism for her postpartum weight gain, and actor Radhikka Madan expresses solidarity with her. She insists that being a woman in itself brings barrage of judgement on looks, and she herself has been a victim of body-shaming.

"I had gained 15 kgs for Pataakha, and I was losing that weight through Shiddat and Angrezi Medium. I was told that I was 'too fat. Heroine kaise banegi ye'. I kept losing weight and shooting back-to-back, and fully became like bones. It started affecting my health, so I took a break,” she shares.

But it was realizing what actually mattered that changed her perspective. The actor adds, “Earlier, I was too fat, now I was too thin, and in between, I was neither here nor there. I asked myself why am I trying to please people when they will never be happy? So, I started focusing on feeling healthy rather than chasing a particular body size. Once you do that, others’ opinions don’t affect you as you become wiser. You don’t know what insecurity they [critiques] are coming from. But I have that security of knowing that now, I am chasing health.”

While she acknowledges that trolls would continue their criticism and one should ignore that, especially young girls who depend on social media validation in today’s age, Radhikka Madanadmits it’s easier said than done.

“Us time pe aisa hota nahi hai because we have this manicured idea and this burden, especially on girls, about how to look and what’s a perfect size. And if you aren’t fitting in that, you are going wrong. That conditioning comes from childhood as you see such women only on magazine covers. So, if I am sitting in a classroom with a unibrow and some facial hair, I will never feel enough as I am not that ideal woman. We have to realize that the idea of a perfect woman is fed to us,” she says.

Radhikka adds, “I find the idea of loving yourself a bit too cliché, but you have to accept yourself and have fun. Find your own quirks. In school, I even had a unibrow and was really hairy, but because my parenting was quite positive, I was hyped so much that I felt people don’t realize but I am beautiful. I had friends but I never felt the need for their validation to be seen. So, even when my unibrow went away, and people started noticing me, I judged them because I felt the same as before.”

The actor admits the journey to acceptance is long, chaotic and confusing. “But be on this journey of finding yourself, your ground, and start by accepting yourself because you are like a snowflake,” she ends.

Actor Radhikka Madan, who has spent over eight years in the Hindi film industry, says the journey has been “adventurous”. Currently, she is basking in the response to her recent release Subedaar, along with a notable endorsement from filmmaker Hansal Mehta, who recently said she “deserves better opportunities” in Bollywood.

Asked if she feels she hasn’t been offered the right opportunities, Radhikka says, “Whoever I’ve met in this industry, nobody feels they’ve achieved it all. Everybody feels that lack… that if only they got a certain project or worked with a particular filmmaker. I am yet to meet someone who says they are fully satisfied.”

However, she admits Mehta’s words have struck a chord. “Of course, it validates the itch I’ve had for years to strive to be the best. That acknowledgement is enough, because all you want is to be seen and heard. His words have given me fuel for years,” she says.

Recalling her initial reaction, Radhikka adds, “I was almost teary-eyed. When you enter this industry, you want to make a mark and be noticed by filmmakers you look up to. When someone like him supports you or voices what you’ve been feeling, it means a lot. It fuels my passion. I want to work harder and stay even more hungry.”

Radhikka Madan is the latest celebrity voice to join the ongoing debate on film industry work hours, noting a clear difference in how male and female actors can set their schedules.

“I have worked for 12-14 hours, but I have also seen work done in eight hours for certain actors. Kaam utna hi hota hai, voh unn hours mein hi nikaal lete hain. Project ban bhi jaata hai, movie hit bhi ho jaati hai. I have seen how it works because people then are focused and prepped ki uss din yeh shot lena hai, sirf eight hours hain. If that would not have happened, I would have said maybe itne hours mein kaam nahin ho paata hai,” says the 30-year-old, who will be seen next in Subedaar with actor Anil Kapoor.

This debate kicked off after there were reports of actor Deepika Padukone requesting an eight-hour workday for director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, a collaboration that eventually fell through. Since then, actors like Ajay Devgn, Pankaj Tripathi, and Rana Daggubati have also joined the conversation.

Radhikka adds, “If women are speaking out and demanding that [work-life] balance, it’s not new. If the reasons are understood by both the parties, and respect is there, it can be worked out. It is really weird when certain male actors are given that privilege and women are not.”

Radhikka says that as a result of adjusting to the working hours expected of her, she has experienced burnout — mental and physical exhaustion from prolonged work — multiple times.

She says, “I have experienced it a lot of times. A few years ago, I was working in seven projects in a single year. I went into depression, I was really drained. I had to seek help. Burnout is real, I just want equality in the industry and no special treatment given to certain male actors.”

Dinesh Vijan’s films have had a good run in theatres since last year — if Munjya and Stree 2 were among the few successes that Bollywood enjoyed in 2024, the producer delivered a blockbuster in Chhaava this year. Now, Maddock Films is gearing up for the release of Bhool Chuk Maaf, while Cocktail 2 will go on floors soon, and the scripting of Vicky Kaushal’s Mahavatar is underway. That’s quite a populous slate. But there’s more. Three of the banner’s films — Pooja Meri Jaan, Rumi Ki Sharafat, and Sarvagunn Sampanna — have been shot and ready, but staring at an uncertain future.

What’s been the hold-up? Sources say Vijan’s attempts to strike a deal for their OTT première haven’t worked out to his liking yet. He is confident of their content — after all, Huma Qureshi and Mrunal Thakur’s Pooja Meri Jaan highlights the issue of stalking, while Radhikka Madan’s Rumi Ki Sharafat is a social comedy

 “All these mid-sized films have varied subjects with strong performances, falling in line with the banner’s vision of bringing diverse content. But after being ready for over a year, they are facing delays as Dinesh hasn’t been able to crack a deal with streamers that befits these projects. He believes the films deserve a certain figure, but the platforms feel they are too expensive,” says a source.

Last year, mid-day had reported that Pooja Meri Jaan’s release was pushed from November 2024 as Vijan wanted it to premiere after Chhaava (Raja trumps Pooja, Oct 14). Rumi Ki Sharafat was shot in 2023, as was Sarvagunn Sampanna.

Another insider notes, “If one looks at it from Dinesh’s point of view, he is right. Maddock Films is in a position to wait it out. After the pandemic, the acquisition budgets have reduced. But Dinesh doesn’t want to sell them at a price that doesn’t do justice to their potential.”

mid-day reached out to Vijan’s team, who didn’t respond till press time.

Speculation around cosmetic enhancements — be it Botox, fillers, or plastic surgery — isn’t uncommon in the entertainment industry, often directed at female actors. Recently, Radhikka Madan and Mouni Roy were at the centre of such chatter on social media. While the actors have not confirmed undergoing any procedures, they addressed the commentary in their own ways, pushing back against the scrutiny.

An Instagram user shared a video featuring altered visuals of Radhikka, along with a caption suggesting that she had undergone cosmetic procedures. It read, “...Radhikka Madan looks unrecognizable now after all that cosmetic work.” The post went on to add, “Radhikka Madan really took notes from Mouni Roy — new face, new vibe”. The video caught attention, with many expressing shock and surprise.

In response, Radhikka wrote, “Bas itne hi eyebrows uper kare hai AI use karke? Aur karlo yaar..ye toh fir bhi natural lag raha hai.” The reply, laced with sarcasm and humour, has been praised by fans.

Meanwhile, Mouni has also responded to the plastic surgery rumours about her. At a recent event, she said that she ignores such comments. Trolls targeted the actor after she was spotted at the trailer launch of her film, The Bhootnii, a few weeks ago. A day later, she posted an Instagram reel in a black slip dress, which invited more criticism. One user wrote, “Surgery went wrong,” while another commented, “Every public appearance is a new plastic surgery”.

Being an actor is exciting, and most in the profession would say that they wouldn’t trade it for any other job in the world. However, it comes with its own set of pitfalls and pain points. Six months into 2024, actress Radhikka Madan admits she is regaining the fire and the energy that she lost by being a workaholic. The actress did back-to-back seven projects in the last couple of years, and while on the seventh project, she realised, “I just didn’t have anything left in me. I was emotionally so drained.” Radhikka talks to us about battling insecurities, her safe zone in life and being confident in her own skin.

Talking about how some roles leave a deep impact, Radhikka explains, “Some characters were dark, and they did take a lot out of me. And I didn’t realize it at that point because I felt like I was a superwoman. But the moment the project ended, I realized that there were a lot of residual feelings about the character that I had played. The pain of some characters stayed with me.”

The actress who was seen in the web series Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo last year, talks about her safe zone in life. She shares, “I wouldn’t lie, there are days where you feel insecure. Not with respect to what others are getting, but it’s just about yourself. It has a lot to do with self-worth. Whenever those feelings pop up, I go back to my safe zone which is Delhi, where I have my family and my friends, and then I feel fine. I’ve realized that the more I stay in Mumbai, the more I’m surrounded by film industry talks, and somewhere, I start seeing life through that lens. And life is way more than just that. Whenever my confidence starts to waver, there’s a sign inside me that says…Go back to your roots, neutralize yourself and come back.”

The Angrezi Medium actress is glad that she’s at a point in her career where she doesn’t have to stress over bagging her next film. The actress who is ten films old, says, “Earlier, I felt insecure about whether I would get work, but not anymore. Now, I have the privilege of focusing on myself and my mental and physical health. Thankfully, I’m not in the position where I have to worry – will I get a job if I take so many breaks?”

There’s always been a lot of talk around the industry’s obsession with the idea of perfect beauty and the kind of pressure it puts on actors. Addressing that Radhikka says, “A lot of things are said to you about your face and your body. If you’re okay about it and you believe that it will help your confidence, then go for it (cosmetic enhancements). Why not? It’s your personal choice. I was told that I should get something done on my face. I didn’t agree. I didn’t want to get anything done because then I would keep chasing perfection. And life is not perfect. And would bother me if I didn’t find that perfection. Even your art is not perfect.”