Radhika Madan is the latest actress to speak out against the unrealistic standards of beauty in Bollywood.
The ‘Angrezi Medium’ star, who was profiled by Humans of Bombay, was quoted as saying that she was asked to undergo cosmetic procedures to alter her appearance before she broke into Bollywood.
“I was told I needed to have a particular shape and size, and that I needed surgery. But mujhe toh main bahut sahi lagti hun [But I looked great to myself]. Who are these people to tell me I’m not pretty?,” question Madan.
However, her decision not to go under the knife had consequences as well. “For the next 1.5 years I didn’t get work. It’s easy to doubt yourself at such a time, but I knew the journey is more important than the destination. So I made an effort to enjoy my auditions! Soon, I signed my first film as other projects followed,” she added.
Madan got her big break in Bollywood finally in 2018 with the critically acclaimed film ‘Pataakha’. She followed it up with ‘Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota’ and ‘Angrezi Medium’.
In the same profile, Madan spoke about getting her big break on TV at a young age and getting her first state of conforming to a certain type in the world of entertainment.
“At 17, I auditioned for a TV show and within three days I was in Bombay, shooting. But it was tough. I barely got time to sleep, which led to me gaining a few kilos,” she said. “Then, I heard rumours about me getting replaced and that pushed me to explore my limits. So I began working out and lost myself to my character.”
Madan also imparted advice to newcomers who are looking to break into Bollywood. “I think the key is to love yourself fiercely because what you see in yourself is what others see in you. If I’d been insecure, people would’ve fed on that fear. So whether it’s as a kid who didn’t care about her unibrow or an adult who thinks her height is cute, I celebrated my imperfections. I know I don’t have to fit someone else’s definition of perfection–I’m imperfectly perfect and I love it!”⠀
The actress, who was last seen in ‘Ray’, has ‘Feels Like Ishq’ a new Netflix anthology series in the pipeline.
