‘‘I want to hug my parents’’ - Radhika Madan

Delhi girl, Radhika Madan, first won notice with her show Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi. She made her feature film debut with Vishal Bhardwaj’s comedy drama Pataakha in 2018. Last year, she appeared in Vasan Bala’s award-winning action comedy Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota. Both feisty and feminine, she packed a punch in her action-oriented performance. Recently, she was seen alongside Irrfan Khan in the drama Angrezi Medium. Though the film was enjoying good-word-of-mouth, it had to be pulled out of the theatres due to the lockdown. The film has now dropped on the OTT platform and has only won her more fans. We caught up with the young actress, who’s learning newer skills during her time at home…

How are you staying positive in this difficult hour?

It’s important to take care of your mental health as well as your physical health. What we don’t realise is that our immunity is related to our mental health. Of course, we should be aware about what’s happening around. But I also keep myself disconnected. I make sure that I learn something new every day. I am thankful for the blessings I enjoy – food, health... That’s how I keep myself positive.

What are you enjoying the most about this quarantine period?

Usually, we keep complaining that we don’t have time to do the things we want. Now we have all the time. I always wanted to learn tap dancing. I’m learning it online. I’m learning to play the piano. I’m cooking, writing, reading and doing yoga as well.

One movie or show, you’ve been binge watching.

I watched the Oscar-winning Parasite. I also saw Angrezi Medium with my house help yesterday.  We enjoyed ourselves.

After the lockdown ends, who are the two people you’d want to meet?

I’d want to meet my family. I want to hug my parents. I’m here and my parents are in Delhi.  As soon as the lockdown is over, I’ll fly across to meet them.

What have you learnt from this critical period?

I’ve learnt to be thankful for everything. People behave as if they have all the power in the world. At the end of the day, it just comes down to washing your hands and sitting at home. No matter how rich or powerful you are. Everyone is at home doing nothing, just making sure they’re eating well and washing their hands. This time has made me realise the value of family and friends.

Angrezi Medium has released on the digital platform. What kind of response are you expecting?

Unfortunately, the lockdown happened when Angrezi Medium released.  The film is far bigger than our personal interest in it. You make a film to entertain the audience. So, our main motto was to entertain people. That’s the reason we released it digitally. We want people to see the film with their families. We just want to put a smile on their faces. The response I’ve received is humbling. It’s positive and encouraging.

 What kinds of roles are you looking forward to doing?

I want to do whatever excites me. I don’t want to live the same character twice. That’s the reason Angrezi was different from Pataakha. Shiddat is going to be different from Angrezi.  I want to explore different shades of me as an actor.

Tell us something about Shiddat

It’s a love story with Sunny Kaushal directed by Kunal Deshmukh. I play a swimmer in it.

What lies in store for Bollywood post the coronavirus pandemic?

I can’t say what’s going to happen after the pandemic. But I hope we realise the value of the important things in our lives. And we get out of this as better people, more aware about ourselves.