Mumbai: Radhika Apte has called out the double standards faced by female actors in action films, coming to Alia Bhatt’s defence amid criticism of her physique in ‘Alpha’.
In an interview with India Today, Radhika questioned why female actors are expected to meet specific physical standards for action roles while their male counterparts face comparatively less scrutiny.
Radhika and Keerthy Suresh will next be seen in the crime thriller series ‘Akka’.
Addressing the audience’s reservations about female actors headlining crime dramas, the duo expressed optimism about changing perceptions, citing Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s performance in ‘The Family Man’ and Kalyani Priyadarshan’s role in ‘Lokah’ as examples of women making their mark in the genre.
When asked about the trolling Alia faced over her suitability for an action role in ‘Alpha’, Radhika hit back at the critics, saying, “Your actors who are doing action have massive paunches and all, and Alia is bloody fit. I mean, please.”
She further attributed the criticism, in part, to traditional attitudes towards women, saying, “I think it’s because most households and a large part of our country are quite traditional. You want women to be a certain way, dress a certain way, behave a certain way, and get married at a certain age. That still exists. Very few people are comfortable with the freedom that their daughters are seeking, or rather, rightfully claiming. I think that also reflects in the kind of content people watch. That’s my guess.”
Alia faced backlash over her casting in ‘Alpha’, with some social media users questioning her suitability to portray an 18-year-old character despite being in her 30s.
Her physical appearance in the film’s action sequences also drew criticism, with some viewers questioning whether she had the physique required for the role.
Directed by Shiv Rawail, ‘Alpha’ also faced criticism for its storyline and dialogues.
The film, which featured Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Sharvari alongside Alia, reportedly collected ₹99 crore worldwide.
Meanwhile, directed by Dharmaraj Shetty, ‘Akka’ features Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte in lead roles, alongside Tanvi Azmi, B.
Jayashree, Nivedita Bhargava, Anshumaan Pushkar, Poornima Indrajith, Vishak Nair, Mahesh Manjrekar, Monika Pawar and others.
