New Delhi: Actor Radhika Apte stopped working in South Indian films because of the industry’s preference for “light-skinned” female stars, a practice she found “appalling”.
In an interview with Galatta, Apte also said that because she does not speak the languages in the south, it was difficult for her to perform in them.
“Initially, I think the reason a lot of North Indian actresses were cast was because they were fair-skinned, and I find it appalling,” she said.
Apte made her Telugu film debut in 2010 with Rakta Charitra and went on to appear in its sequel, Rakta Charitra 2, followed by Dhoni (2012), released in both Tamil and Telugu. She starred in a few others across languages and her last was the Tamil film Chithiram Pesuthadi 2 in 2019.
Apte further explained that not knowing the language is one of the biggest reasons she is reluctant to take up South Indian projects now. She said performing in a different language can be difficult because actors cannot improvise as freely and may not fully understand what they are saying.
“Unless there is a project that there is a reason why it’s me, very particularly, why I wouldn’t do a South Indian film because I don’t deserve it,” she added.
Apte’s comments sparked a discussion on social media, with several Instagram users agreeing with her observations about the industry’s preference for fair-skinned actresses.
“True, really appreciate Radhika for saying this,” one user wrote.
“She has the guts to speak the truth,” another user commented.
“She’s not wrong, especially about Telugu cinema. For a long time, fair skin was treated like a major qualification for being a heroine,” a third said.
Apte’s upcoming Netflix series Akka is set in a fictional village in South India, following two female gangsters taking on each other. She stars alongside Keerthy Suresh, last seen in the Tamil film Dorothy. The series will begin streaming on 30 October.