It’s a good time to be Richa Chadda. Her films are fetching rave reviews. She’s made a habit of garnering brownie points from the critics and the viewers. Her debut impressions from Gangs Of Wasseypur seem like a distant past. She’s now even identified the world over as an acclaimed actor. It’s been a great journey for a small-town girl. It’s a narration that would sum up her character in Masaan as well, a film that’s added laurels in Richa’s career. “Masaan helped me find myself,” she says of her role of a traumatised girl facing moral issues.
She has fond memories of the film’s reception at the Cannes film festival. “We were nervous at the time of the screening. But we received a standing ovation. The film won two awards as well, the FIPRESCI, International Jury of Film Critics award and the Promising Future award,” says Richa who reportedly broke down with the unprecedented clapping.
She last made an impact in Fukrey and Sanjay Bhansali’s Ram-leela. Her next talked-about offering is Sudhir Mishra’s Aur Devdas with Rahul Bhat and Aditi Rao Hydari. Richa says, “I am playing Paro. The film is based on the political background of Uttar Pradesh.” She’s all praise for director Sudhir Mishra. “He’s talented and patient. He’s contributed to many fine details in the movie. Like, in one of my scenes, I had to fight with Rahul Bhat. He called my make-up man and asked him to let my hair loose. The make-up artist was perplexed because my look throughout the film was simple. Sudhirji explained, ‘the hero is about to leave the girl and there should be beauty in dishevelment. The boy should realise what a beautiful girl he is about to leave’. His thinking has a visual orientation.”
She’s perceived as a feisty and unapologetic, even her characters portray similar shades. Naturally, Richa has no qualms working in sex comedies or even the niche lesbian or gay themes. “I respect gay and lesbian communities. I believe there is no distinction between homosexual and heterosexual relationships. I liked Hunter among sex comedies. I’m ready for a good film.”
Apart from Aur Devdas, she will be seen in Pooja Bhatt’s ‘hot in the news’ Cabaret, Main Aur Charles (the Charles Shobhraj biopic with Randeep Hooda) and Jia Aur Jia in which she will be seen with Kalki Koechlin. She’s found a place in mainstream cinema and she no longer sees herself as a misfit. “I am getting respect and affection from the film fraternity now. If I attend a film party, I feel accepted. I don’t feel inferior to anyone.” She doesn’t believe her career is limited to arty films. “Jia Aur Jia, Charles and Cabaret are commercial films. My confidence has increased because of this exposure. I have become more outgoing. Earlier, I used to be engrossed within myself.” Last year was a bit difficult for Richa because her film Tamanchey didn’t do too well. “It’s the difficult times that make you a better person, a better performer.” She feels her composure is her biggest strength. “Frustration never crept in because I was never short of money or work.”
But like so many more, Richa too has faced rejection and lived to tell about it. “Actors face rejection all the time and at so many levels. At the time of the casting for a film, they’re worried whether they’ll get the part or not. Sometimes while doing an ad film for a skin product you realise that they want a fair girl, a dusky girl will not do. There is rejection at all levels. I learnt not to take these situations seriously. Or, life can be difficult.”
The one thing she finds upsetting about the film industry is vanity. The fact that everyone is conscious about their looks, all the time winds her up. “It’s childish. If you wear a dress or shoes twice, it becomes news. If the crease of a dress doesn’t fall correctly that becomes an issue. We are copying Hollywood, but we don’t have their resources or their fashion sense. No one buys shoes for one time wear. I do not take all these things seriously.” Despite the scoff, she admits her focus on style has yielded better results. “EarlierI used to get bad reviews for my fashion sense. But I got good reviews about my styling at Cannes.”
That she doesn’t give heed to the published material helps her out. “When I was younger, I’d forget everything after writing an exam. Similarly, I move forward after I finish my work. I don’t take criticism seriously. When I was a newcomer in the industry, I was naive. I took everyone by face value. Sometimes, people become friends with you because they want to take advantage of you. At one time Kangana Ranaut was criticised. But after Queen those very people are praising her.”
She believes boys struggle a lot more than girls in the film industry. “Survival in the film industry is as difficult for the boys as it is for girls. People believe girls can get a chance if they compromise, poor boys don’t even have that option. That’s why they could end up taking years before achieving success.” She confides she doesn’t have a boyfriend because she’s too busy with work. “I want a boy who is honest and intelligent. He should be tall so that I can wear high heels when with him,” she smiles. She’s in no hurry to tie the knot. “Marriage is not necessary. Even the courts have ruled that an unmarried woman has the right to become a mother.” She has her reservations against need-based relationships. “Our culture is different. We value emotional support more than physical need.”
Surprisingly, there’s no sob story when it comes to matters of heart. In fact, she’s the one dishing out heartaches. “I learnt much at an early age. I was never heartbroken; in fact I broke many hearts. You should go further in a relationship only when your partner is committed and he should be your equal.” We agree.