Radhika Apte turns 41 today, and if there is one thing that stands out about her two-decade-long career, it is that she has rarely taken the conventional route to stardom. While Bollywood often rewards actors for fitting into a certain image, Apte has repeatedly chosen characters and projects that challenge that very image.
From Parched and Sacred Games to Pad Man and international projects, she has moved comfortably between mainstream cinema, independent films and streaming. But behind that unconventional career is a journey filled with uncomfortable experiences, trolling and some rather startling stories from film sets.
Did Radhika Apte really slap a co-star on set?
One of the latest stories to resurface ahead of her birthday involves an incident from a Tamil film shoot. Apte recalled that a co-star, whom she barely knew, started tickling her feet while they were filming. Her response was immediate — she slapped him.
The incident perhaps says something about the actress’s personality off-screen too: Apte has never been particularly hesitant about drawing boundaries.
What happened to Radhika Apte on a South Indian film set?
In a 2025 interview, Apte opened up about some of her early experiences in South Indian cinema and described certain incidents as deeply traumatic. She recalled being the only woman on one set and being told that more padding should be added to her breasts and buttocks to make her body look “rounder”. She also said she had no manager or agent and was not allowed to bring her own team.
Interestingly, Apte has also spoken positively about South Indian cinema and its storytelling. Her criticism was directed at the behaviour and working conditions she experienced on certain sets.
Why was Radhika Apte trolled for her roles?
Apte’s choice of characters has frequently placed her in the middle of online trolling. Her work in films such as Parched, along with her roles in Sacred Games, Lust Stories and other projects, often pushed her into conversations around sexuality, nudity and female agency.
Yet Apte has repeatedly refused to let online outrage dictate her choices. In an earlier interview, she spoke about the trolling she faced and said social-media users seemed to have an opinion about everything.
Did Radhika Apte leave Bollywood for London?
Not exactly. And that is what makes her story more interesting. Apte has lived between Mumbai and London for years and has described both cities as home. She moved to London to study contemporary dance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, an experience she has described as liberating and life-changing.
In a 2023 interview, she revealed that she had been living in London for years and was spending more time there than in India. She has also spoken about how being away from the Mumbai frenzy offered a different perspective.
Rather than walking away from Bollywood, Radhika Apte seems to have chosen something far more unusual — a career where she could decide how much of Bollywood she wanted in her life. And perhaps that is the most interesting thing about Radhika Apte: she never really chased the Bollywood dream. She built her own version of it.
Shiwani works as a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering the entertainment beat. With a strong background in media, she is a true cinema buff who loves keeping up with the latest in pop culture and lifestyle trends. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Shiwani followed her passion and pursued a Master’s in Journalism from IIMC, choosing the road less travelled.
