Radhika Apte expressed her opinion about working long hours while shooting films and the increasing violence scenes in Hindi films. After giving birth to her mother, she said that she would not like to work in 16 hour shifts anymore. He expressed his wish to finish his working day in photography within 12 hours and to spend more time with his younger daughter.
Radhika Apte said these things in an interview to PTI ahead of the release of her new Netflix series 'అక్క'. He also talked about the things he considers now while choosing films.
Change in working hours after motherhood
Radhika Apte said that there was a change in her daily routine after the birth of her mother. Earlier it was possible to postpone more time for work but now it is not possible, he said. He said that he wanted to complete the entire shooting day within 12 hours.
Sometimes one has to work for 16 hours on a film set and it is not easy to get leave during the shooting, Apte said.
He expressed that he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his mother. Radhika said that her mother is still very young and it is important for her to live with her at this age.
He said that he does not want his conditions to be accepted in all projects. He explained that sometimes disagreements arise when people refuse to work for long periods of time.
travel, makeup, hair styling and part of working time
Radhika Apte has earlier expressed her dissatisfaction regarding the working hours in the film industry. He said that in January 2026, count only the time spent in front of the camera in 12-hour shifts.
He pointed out that it takes a lot of time to get from home to the set, do make-up, hair styling and then return home after the filming is over.
If an artiste needs two hours to be on the set, the shooting schedule should be prepared accordingly, he said.
Radhika expressed that she wanted a permanent holiday in the week. Working for several days at a stretch makes it difficult to spend time with family, he said. But he agreed that sometimes the schedule will have to be changed according to the needs of some films.
Change in attitude towards work after giving birth
Radhika gave birth to her mother in August 2024. Her husband Benedict Taylor is a British musician and violinist. Radhika said that she changed her way of working after becoming a mother. He clarified that he will not immediately accept all the opportunities that come his way.
He said in the interview that although acting is an important part of his life, it is not the only part of his life. Now, he said, spending time with his mother is one of his priorities. For this, there will be no problem if I have to stay away from work for some time, said Radhika.
He said that he wanted to concentrate on writing for some time. But she explained that it was not easy to find time for writing while taking care of her mother. He said that often even though he has to write in front of the computer, he is unable to carry on with his work due to fatigue.
Question about increasing violence in films
Apart from working hours, Radhika Apte opened up about the increasing violence in Hindi films. He said that now films containing action and violence scenes are getting good business in theatres. But he clarified that he personally does not like to watch such films.
Radhika asked how people watch scenes of people being brutally killed on the screen while eating popcorn. He also said that some films are again using new and more brutal methods of presenting violence.
He clarified that he would not understand presenting scenes of breaking someone's head or killing people on a large scale in an entertaining manner.
Considering the current trend in films, the actress said that she does not want to be a part of such stories.
Reasons to stay away from violent movies
Radhika Apte said that the type of films currently doing well at the box office affects the opportunities available to actors. He said that when producers give more importance to a particular type of films, the opportunities for stories based on different subjects may be limited.
He explained that films full of violence do not appeal to him and that he wishes to avoid acting in stories that present cruelty as the main means of entertaining the audience.
Radhika has previously acted in various genres ranging from serious social issues to thrillers and comedy films. Now, while choosing his job, he is giving importance to his personal interests as well as the needs of his family.
Radhika about the box office status of female actors
Radhika Apte spoke about the box office status of women actors in the film industry. At present, it is not easy for a film starring a female star in the lead role to get a big opening in theatres, he said.
He cited Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone as examples. Radhika said that producers cannot expect ticket sales based on the names of actors like Alia and Deepika, but the situation is different for other actors.
He said that even if a film starring a female lead is a good one, there is a possibility of it not attracting enough audiences in the theatres.
For this reason, male lead characters sometimes come to work in major films, Radhika explained. But he said that he does not choose a film based only on whether a project will be released in theaters or on OTT.
Deepika Padukone's eight-hour shift requirement was discussed
The discussion related to fixing the working hours of actors in Bollywood was also raised last year in connection with the demand of Deepika Padukone. Deepika's stance was to require eight hour shifts for filming. Subsequently, there were various reactions in the film industry regarding this need.
This topic became a topic of discussion even after Deepika retired from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's 'Spirit' movie. Media reports cited his work schedule and other professional differences as possible reasons. But all the terms related to the controversy did not receive official confirmation.
Later Deepika said that it is wrong to ask for fixed working hours. Now Radhika Apte is also sharing her experiences. But the needs of both are different. While Deepika supports eight-hour shifts, Radhika wants to complete her working day within 12 hours.
'अक्क' will release on Netflix on October 30.
Radhika Apteव is currently working on her new web series 'అక్క్'. Actress Keerthy Suresh also plays the lead role in this series. The release of the Netflix series is scheduled for October 30, 2026. The trailer of the series has also been released.
The story of 'अक्क' takes place in the fictional city of Perenur in South India in the 1980s. Women's dominance has existed here for many generations. Authority, family, revenge, conflict between two powerful women are the main elements of the story.
Radhika arriving dressed as Rudra while portraying the character of Keerthi Suresh Bhavani. Both have their own goals. The differences of opinion between them take the story forward.
'अक्क' stars and actors
Produced by Netflix and YRF Entertainment, this series is written and directed by Dharamraj Shetty. This is his first system project.
Radhika Apte, Keerthy Suresh and Tavi Asmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, अव्षुमान पुषकर, Monica पुवर also appear in lead roles.
According to the producers, the story features a world led by women. There is a situation of ongoing conflict between different groups to maintain control over power. With the arrival of an outsider, old relationships and the balance of power are disrupted.
This gangster drama has conflict and violence as its background. But Radhika Apte's comments about extreme cruelty in her interview should not be taken as a specific statement about this series.
Want to give time to work and family
Radhika Apte has acted in films like 'अन्धाधुव्य', 'Badlapur', 'Parched', 'Padman', 'मांची: The Mountain Man'. She has also acted in OTT series like 'Sacred Games', 'Ghool'.
After almost two decades of acting career, Radhika Apti is now setting some different limits for her work. He wants to give time to his family along with professional responsibilities.