Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai actress Radhika Apte recalls being asked to pad up chest, buttocks: 'How much more rounder would you make...'

Bollywood actress Radhika Apte has opened up about a troubling experience early in her career, recalling that during the shoot of a South Indian film, she was asked to wear extra padding on her chest and buttocks by the production team, a demand she found uncomfortable and indicative of deeper sexism on set.

In a candid conversation on SCREEN’s Creator X Creator, Apte reflected on her early days in the film industry, when she was often the only woman on set and lacked professional support like a manager or agent. “They wanted to add more padding on my bum and my breasts. They kept saying, ‘More padding amma!’ I kept thinking, how much more padding? How rounder would you make somebody?” she said, laughing at the memory but also highlighting how awkward and objectifying the demand felt.

The experience took place while Apte was working on a South Indian film in a small town during the late 2000s, a period she took such roles out of financial necessity rather than choice. She said the environment on some of those sets was far from welcoming, with lewd jokes and a lack of sensitivity toward women.

Apte described the episode as traumatic, noting that despite her reputation as outspoken and brave, the memory still makes her uneasy. “It was actually traumatic. I never, ever want to be put in that situation again because I’ll cry,” she said, adding that she wouldn’t wish such an experience on any woman.

While Apte clarified that she is not generalising the entire South Indian film industry, she also expressed disappointment that even women in powerful positions have not done enough to bring about meaningful change.

Now a seasoned actor with acclaimed work across Hindi and South Indian cinema, Apte said these early encounters shaped her resolve to choose projects more carefully and advocate for safer, more respectful working environments for all artists.

Radhika has appeared in Tamil films such as All in All Azhagu Raja, Vetri Selvan and Kabali, and also starred opposite Nandamuri Balakrishna in the Telugu film Legend. She was most recently seen in two OTT releases - Saali Mohabbat on Zee5 and Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders, currently streaming on Netflix.