Richa Chadha on Unpaused: Film depicts emotional trauma of a wife

Portraying a character whose husband is called out as a sexual predator in Unpaused, Richa on how Advani's short film weaves in themes of lockdown and #MeToo movement

Nikkhil Advani's short film in Amazon Prime Video's recent anthology, Unpaused, beautifully weaves in two crucial elements — the pandemic-induced lockdown and the #MeToo movement. While the former is the common theme that ties the five stories together, Richa Chadha says it is the latter that drew her to
Advani's project, titled The Apartment. A vociferous supporter of the #MeToo India movement, the actor plays a wife whose husband is called out as a sexual predator only days before the lockdown is imposed.

"It is such a strong subject and [depicts] the emotional trauma that a wife goes through. She is caught in a dilemma — should she trust her husband or believe the women? So, the story follows her as she [decides] whether she should give up everything that she has built over the years or give up her values. If you look at the cases so far, people have usually stood by their spouses," says Chadha, adding that the tough stand that her character takes sealed the deal for her. "Her arriving at the decision was the interesting part about the film."

Though the movie entailed only three days of shoot, the actor says she had to prepare emotionally to portray the role of Devika. "I don't relate to the character at all; she is different from me. It wasn't easy to navigate a character like that. Her faith starts to shatter when the number of women accusing her husband begins to grow. It's a double whammy for her because their lives are intertwined financially as well."

The project — also starring Sumeet Vyas and Ishwak Singh — marks Chadha's first collaboration with the filmmaker. She remembers watching Advani's directorial debut, Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), as a student and being blown away by the narrative. "I wanted to work with Nikkhil. Couple that with the fact that the script was so progressive, and I had to do it. During the shoot, Nikkhil was open to suggestions and feedback. I like it when a director shows faith in you, especially in a film like this which in itself is experimental."

In telling five varied stories, the anthology deftly addresses how the stay-at-home period affected people's emotional state of mind, bringing on loneliness and anxiety in its wake. "Honestly, the pandemic has not been as challenging for me because of my privilege. I was able to sit at home without worrying about my income, or about having a job. I treated it as a period of rest. My only struggle was that I couldn't meet my family in Delhi. Having said that, the plot of the film resonated with me because it honestly spoke about what people went through during the lockdown," says the actor, who is now looking forward to the release of Shakeela.

Things are coming up roses on the personal front for the actor — with her wedding with longtime beau Ali Fazal around the corner, the couple is currently enjoying living-in together. "Like every relationship, this has been very rewarding. He has been fun to live with."

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