It’s been sometime since Richa Chadha returned to Mumbai after spending almost two months in London, shooting for her next project, Aaina, and she is happy to be back home. While the actor is used to such long hauls abroad, she admits the time away from home always comes with its set of challenges.
“Being in a new city doesn’t affect my personal life, and it is because being actors, we are used to travelling and staying away from home. We get used to this sort of lifestyle,” says Chadha. However, she is quick to confess, she does get homesick.
“And that reflects on my social media as I am posting regularly about (my time in India) on my social media. I get homesick a lot, and start missing Indian food, spices, people, my family and friends,” adds the 36-year-old.
What helps her overcome this feeling of homesickness it is diving into work, as the actor shares, “The most exciting thing about shooting in London is that it is a beautiful city to be in. We are here at the peak of summer. So, there are a lot of tourists and that can be a bit challenging to shoot on the streets with. Because I get recognised by the Indian tourists. I didn’t realise that this place is so popular among people from South Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.’
Chadha, who is married to actor Ali Fazal, shot for her first international, with Chronicles of Narnia actor William Moseley. The film, set between London and India, is being directed by debutant Markus Meedt.
{{/usCountry}}Chadha, who is married to actor Ali Fazal, shot for her first international, with Chronicles of Narnia actor William Moseley. The film, set between London and India, is being directed by debutant Markus Meedt.
{{/usCountry}}That being said, the actor is a bit averse to describing the film as her “debut international project”. She explains, “It is an Indo-UK production. The best part of working on this film has been meeting with William Moseley. That has been a great addition to my life. Also, I’m trying hard to bring the nuances of what it means to be an immigrant trying to scrape pennies together and make a living in this expensive city.”
Asked if she is eyeing to make a switch and take up more work internationally, and Chadha says she is unsure about how she’d like to chart her way in the West.
“I hope something good happens. But I don’t really have any plans as such. If I did, I would have to head to Los Angeles where there is currently a strike at the moment. I’m very grateful that we’re filming this in the UK, also because it’s fun to do and because we waited a long time to start this,” she ends.