Radhika Apte: Who you are cannot be the only part you get

Amid growing belief that marginalised communities must represent themselves on screen, Radhika on playing a Dalit character in Made in Heaven 2

When you’re featuring in a single episode that only takes a few days to be shot, you hardly expect an overwhelming response. But Radhika Apte’s episode in the second season of Made in Heaven has become a dialogue-starter, and for good reason. The Neeraj Ghaywan-helmed episode showcases a Dalit-Buddhist wedding, a rare depiction in mainstream Indian cinema. While the episode is being hailed, the larger discourse of late has been about casting actors with lived-in experience. Where does Apte stand on it? She starts with, “It’s called acting, isn’t it? We don’t cast Muslim actors for Muslim parts, and Christian for Christian parts. There are [two] subjects here —one is casting the right actor. [The other is that] people need representation, highlighting how people of different castes need equal opportunities at work. It’s not fair to mix it up. Who you are cannot be the only part you get, then the experience of an actor is gone. I will only get upper-middle class, Hindu women parts. The character is not confined to its religion, caste or geography alone. We are talking about the emotional liberation of a person on screen.”

The series depicts a Dalit-Buddhist wedding

The episode tells the story of Apte’s Pallavi Menke, a Columbia alumnus who came out as a Dalit through her book, pushing for a Dalit-Buddhist wedding. Gender is equally crucial here, a two-fold marginalising force at work. “I am a woman who has experienced discrimination, humiliation and disrespect. I acknowledge how it varies in degrees,” says Apte, adding that she modelled her character on Ghaywan. “I based Pallavi on Neeraj. His experiences made their way into the performance. I can call myself woke, but when the episode came out, I realised from the responses how large the issue is. There has never been a [Dalit wedding] representation in mainstream cinema.”

Which brings us to Yashica Dutt and Sumit Baudh, the latter credited by the makers in a social media post for using the term ‘coming out’ in the Indian caste-identity context. After the episode streamed, Dutt called out the makers on social media for not crediting her while allegedly appropriating her life story. In a recent interview to mid-day, director Ghaywan said that he had woven his life experiences into creating the protagonist (Pallavi Menke is me, Aug 20). Apte adds, “There are a lot of people Neeraj and I discussed. Of course, Yashica was one of the inspirations Neeraj had, and her book [Coming Out as a Dalit] was phenomenal. But the only person we discussed for the character’s emotional journey is Neeraj. His stories about his time in Pune are scary and horrific.”

Zoya Akhtar on Apte: 

“I’ve wanted to collaborate with Radhika for a while. So when the character of Pallavi Menke came up, we approached her. We felt she’d be perfect because she is a talented actor, who also has the knowledge and sensitivity to understand how important Pallavi’s narrative is. Radhika had the right blend of strength and vulnerability that was required to make an impact. Also, she has a million-dollar smile.”

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