'I hated everything about it': Radhika Apte recalls controversial role opposite Telugu superstar

A character forced into an unconventional marriage, a much older romantic partner, and an untimely death.

Actor Radhika Apte has revisited an uncomfortable experience from her time in Telugu cinema, revealing that one film left her deeply unhappy with its storyline and the circumstances surrounding her character.

A clip from an interview with Zoom has been circulating widely on social media, drawing attention to Apte's candid remarks about the film and the patriarchal setting she encountered while working on it.

During the conversation, Apte recalled acting in a Telugu film where her character had to marry her maternal uncle. Without naming the film, she described the experience as particularly difficult.

‘There was a Telugu film I did where I had to marry my Mama (maternal uncle) in the film. It was the most challenging film. I hated everything about it,’ she said.

Actor Keerthy Suresh, who was also present during the interview, explained the storyline, noting that marriages involving maternal uncles have been depicted in certain Tamil and Telugu cultural contexts.

‘It's a very Tamil and Telugu thing where you marry your uncle,’ Suresh remarked.

Apte, however, explained that the uncomfortable storyline was only one aspect of her experience.

She also said she was romantically paired with an actor considerably older than her and described the overall setting as deeply patriarchal.

‘But I also had to romance a much older actor. It was a very patriarchal situation and place, and for me that was the toughest thing,’ she said.

Recalling another disturbing aspect of the role, Apte revealed that her character dies midway through the film.

She even described a scene in which the male character had to throw her body over his shoulder before moving on to an action sequence.

‘And then I die in the middle of it. He had to throw me (gestures over her shoulder) and then do action. I was like, 'When am I going to die?’ she recalled.

Although Apte did not name the film during the conversation, social media users quickly speculated that she was referring to Boyapati Srinu's 2014 Telugu action film Legend, starring Nandamuri Balakrishna.

The speculation gained traction because of the film's storyline and the age difference between its lead actors. When Legend was released, Balakrishna was 54, while Apte was 29.

Her comments have since prompted sharply divided reactions online. While some users focused on the gender dynamics and power imbalance described by the actor, others questioned why she had agreed to the project in the first place if she was uncomfortable with its storyline and casting.

One social media user identified the film as ‘Legend’ and questioned Apte's decision to sign it, arguing that she would have known the script and the male lead before accepting the role.

The discussion has brought renewed attention to Apte's experience in Telugu cinema, with her remarks opening up a wider conversation about female characters, age differences in onscreen romances and the representation of women in commercial films.