Radhika Apte has frequently spoken about the challenges she has encountered in the film industry. During the promotions of her upcoming show ‘Akka’, the actress revisited an uncomfortable experience on the set of an action film, where she was asked to wear revealing clothing for a sequence. She also discussed the limitations of intimacy coordinators, revealing that she has seen them lose their jobs for standing up against demands made by producers.Recalling the incident, Radhika said she was asked to perform an action sequence in a manner that she felt was impractical. She said in an interview with News18, “They told me, ‘Can you wear a shirt without the bra and keep the buttons open’. I told them to think about physics a little; when I am doing action… so, yes, that did happen.”The actress further spoke about how performers can be put in uncomfortable situations when expectations regarding their appearance or the extent of nudity in a scene are communicated at the last minute. She stressed that filmmakers should clearly outline their vision for a character before an actor agrees to take on the role.“My views are a little different; when I am signing the part, tell me very clearly what is your vision for the character. Don’t tell me this two days before the scene; that’s where the problem lies. If you have written a character who is mostly naked in the film for whatever vision, I will sign knowing exactly what I am supposed to do. If you negotiate with me two days before the scene, hound me about wearing them, that becomes genuinely difficult and frustrating. That conversation just kept going on for two weeks; they asked me, ‘Will you show this one? Should you show that?’ It was absolutely traumatizing; it’s genuinely very depressing.”Radhika also reflected on the role of intimacy coordinators, who are brought on board to ensure that intimate scenes and sequences involving nudity are filmed with the actors’ consent and within agreed boundaries. While acknowledging that their presence has brought a positive change to the industry, she pointed out that their position can become difficult when their decisions conflict with the producers’ demands.“You want to show nudity, that’s fine, but tell me what you want right from the beginning. Why are there last-minute surprises? It is so amazing that now we have intimacy coordinators, but they are also hired by the producers. If they stand by the actors, I have seen them get fired. It’s not an easy situation. Although their presence has made a lot of difference, it hasn’t always protected us because either they are fired, or they change their tune because they have to, or they stand by it and still nothing really happens; you get hounded anyway. You cannot get an intimacy coordinator who you like.”However, the actress clarified that her experience should not be taken as a reflection of the entire industry. She said that most people she has worked with have treated her with respect, but the inability to speak openly about an unpleasant experience remains a concern.“Most people are not like that; this happened on one set out of 10; nine sets treat me extremely well with complete respect. But that one still happens, and the problem is you still cannot talk about it openly. I am still not able to tell you the name. Going home, I feel: When will I be able to speak out? That’s the problem, and I don’t know the answer.”
