Richa Chadha: I am vocal about issues but that has not impacted my work

Unflinching in her honesty, actor Richa Chadha says that if one is telling the truth, there’s no need to be afraid to speak up, and adds that her intention is not to hurt or insult anyone.

She has always spoken her mind about different issues, not refraining from being frank. In an industry where being diplomatic seems to be the mantra for many, Richa Chadha prefers calling a spade a spade.

Actor Richa Chadha was seen in the recently released film Madam Chief Minister.

Asked if this has ever backfired, or got in the way of her professional prospects, she tells us, “I don’t think there’s been any impact professionally. Personally, I do feel what happens sometimes is I am held to higher standards than others, that’s the flip side. People expect me to be that, and at times are like ‘we didn’t expect this from you, we wanted better from you’. There is the burden of those expectations.”

Being a public figure, though, Chadha adds, has got nothing to do with it. “It’s about what they think is woke,” she says. However, there’s been plenty of advice given to her to not be so vocal.

Chadha reveals, “It happens all the time. I feel what happens is, most people, they are so guarded in their own private lives, ki ‘kuch bol diya toh kuch ho jaayega’. I simply feel that if I am telling the truth, I should not be afraid. I don’t mean bad, or mean to hurt or insult anybody.”

Clearly, the actor likes to take decisions without any pressure, which also reflects in her film choices that have ranged from a quirky comedy such as Fukrey (2013), to a Masaan (2015). Recently, she headlined films such as Shakeela and Madam Chief Minister.

Do tags like ‘female led’ or ‘female centric’ bother her when it comes to films, we ask. She says, “I don’t think about these labels anymore. People will use them till they need to use them. Till female centric films are more common, and are made every now and then, I think these things will continue, I don’t really feel too much about it.”

Currently, the actor is shooting for her next project. “I am outdoors, shooting in Uttarakhand. We are all in a safe place, have been living in one hotel, working together and going on set. Everyone is taking precautions, and no one is venturing out. A bubble is automatically created. Of course I am excited to get back to work,” she says.