Radhika Apte isn't the type to let inappropriate behaviour slide on a film set. In an interview, the actress recalled that a co-star on a Tamil film began tickling her feet during a shoot, and she responded within seconds by slapping him. She has said she did not personally know the actor well, which made the contact feel especially unwelcome.
A Career Built Without a Film Family
Radhika Apte was born on September 7, 1985, in Pune, Maharashtra. Without any connection to a major film family, she carved out her own space in the industry entirely through her work. She was drawn to the arts from childhood, spending nearly eight years training in Kathak while also getting involved in theatre during that period, where she picked up the fundamentals of acting. She now works across Hindi as well as Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema, and has consistently prioritised strong stories and characters over conventional glamour.
From Debut to Multi-Language Cinema
She made her big-screen debut in 2005 with the film Vah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!. Several small and large roles followed. In 2009, she landed a significant part in the Bengali film Antaheen. She then went on to appear in Raktha Charitra, Shor in the City, and the Tamil film Dhoni, building a presence across different film industries. Major opportunities were scarce in her early years, but she approached every role with the same seriousness, and that steadily strengthened her standing.
2015: The Year Everything Changed
2015 turned out to be a defining year for her career. Her performances in Badlapur and Hunterrr were widely praised by audiences and critics alike. She followed those up with powerful roles in Manjhi: The Mountain Man, Phobia and Parched. Her work in Parched earned her the Best Actress award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.
The Slap That Made Headlines
Apte is equally known for her outspoken nature. In one interview, she shared an incident from the shoot of a Tamil film. According to her account, a fellow actor started tickling her feet on set even though she barely knew him personally. She found the act completely unacceptable and reacted immediately, slapping him without a second thought.
A Long List of Awards and Nominations
Her career has attracted several honours and nominations over the years. Besides winning Best Actress for Parched, she has received nominations for films including Manjhi: The Mountain Man, Lust Stories and AndhaDhun. In 2017, she was honoured with the Best Actress award at the Tribeca Film Festival for her work in Madly.
Recent Work
In more recent years, Apte featured in Sister Midnight, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and she has also appeared in the project Sali Mohabbat.
