‘They wanted more pads on my breasts and butt’: Radhika Apte recalls director’s shocking demand

Actor Radhika Apte recently spoke about a challenging experience she faced while working in South Indian films, recalling a moment when she was the only woman on set and was asked to add padding to her body.

In a conversation with Saali Mohabbat co-star Divyenndu Sharma for Screen, Radhika said she took some South Indian projects because she needed money, but admitted that some shoots were extremely difficult.

“There is such good cinema also, especially in South India. I’m not trying to blanket South Indian films, there is incredible cinema in every industry,” she clarified, making it clear she was not generalizing about the entire industry.

Radhika recalled one particularly uncomfortable incident from a film shoot in a small town. She revealed that she was surrounded by an all-male crew, with no manager or agent to support her.

“They wanted to add more padding on my bum and my breasts. They kept saying, ‘More padding amma!’” she said.

“I kept thinking, how much more padding? How rounder will you make somebody?”

Uncomfortable with the demand, Radhika finally stood her ground and refused, asking the team to inform the director that she would not go ahead with it.

“I was the only woman! I had no manager, no agent, the team was all men! That was the first time I realised oh my goodness!,” she added.

Despite early struggles, Radhika Apte has built a diverse and acclaimed body of work. She has appeared in notable South Indian films such as Raktha Charitra, Kabali, and Legend, while also earning recognition in Hindi cinema and web series.

She was last seen in Saali Mohabbat, a Hindi crime thriller exploring themes of love, betrayal, and deceit, which is streaming in HD on ZEE5 in December 2025.