New Delhi: Richa Chadha has been winning praise for her performance as girlfriend and drunkard prostitute Lajwanti in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s lavish epic “Hiramandi: The Diamond Bazaar”. Her brief but impactful appearance as a heartbroken woman on the path to self-destruction, was a challenge the actor took upon herself.
“Lajwanti was completely unlike anything I have played before. I knew where this character was going. My attempt was to make the experience human for whoever is watching the show, what this woman is going through. She was a hopeless character with no motivation, but somewhere she needed love and a normal life, unlike other people who had an agenda.”
Heeramandi is Richa Chadha’s second collaboration with Sanjay Leela Bhansali after Ram Leela, she says he not only brings out the best in her but also helps her explore the character with her. “You get a lot of breathing space, how it’s a matter of the heart and it has to be told a certain way. I love pushing myself that way with him. He also realizes the hunger of an actor who is willing to cross all boundaries, he inspires you more.”
Richa got success in Bollywood with Anurag Kashyap’s film Gangs of Wasseypur, in which she played the role of a foul-mouthed wife of a gangster. This was soon followed by critically acclaimed hits like Masaan and the Fukrey franchise. From a non-film background, the actress who has made her way into the industry says, “I feel like the industry now responds to me as a serious actor, and even though they feel they need to act serious, I don’t mind it. Rumors work for me, and if they get a little scared, they think I’m in some area”, she says, laughing.
She is known to speak out fearlessly on issues of national interest, be it politics, environment or education as well as issues related to women and children. Recent comments by dancer-turned-actress Nora Fatehi, who had gone on record to say that feminism has harmed society, and emphasized the role of women as nurturers, were strongly criticized by all women. Most of the leading female actors like Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and mother-to-be Deepika Padukone have emphasized that women can shine in their careers along with becoming mothers. He described Nora Fatehi’s comment as a misleading response and also did not convey the real understanding of the term.
“You know, the nice thing about feminism is that it accepts people who want the benefits of feminism, but refuse to be feminists. The choice to have one’s own career, choose what to wear, and work where one wishes to be free is due to feminism, and due to those predecessors who decided that women needed to work outside, not just at home. Happen. I wonder if it’s because you want some male members to accept you more or to be more firmly established in the patriarchy”, she muses.
As she and her husband Ali Fazal are all set to welcome their first child in July, the actor says she is all set to go on maternity leave and be her own boss.
