Radhika Apte on censorship of web content: We are all so extreme, we are trying to ban everything – The Indian Express

Radhika Apte recently got nominated in the Best Actress category in the International Emmy Awards. (Photo: Radhika Apte/Instagram)

Radhika Aptes Kalindi, a fiery college professor in the first Anurag Kashyaps Lust Stories got her nominated in the Best Actress category in the International Emmy Awards. Her first reaction on hearing the news was similar to how anyone of us would have reacted. She googled Emmys a bit and found out if it was the same Emmys.

Aptes nomination and the nomination of Netflixs Sacred Games in the International Emmy Awards speaks volumes about Indian content being accepted across the world. The acclaimed 34-year-old actor feels the idea of television has changed in India. Thus, our content has gained recognition on the international platforms.

She tells indianexpress.com, I think it is about television. So far the television we had was not at par with the world content at all. Lets call it a revolution or whatever, but with the digital medium, the world has become so small. Everyones viewing each others content. The idea of television has changed completely which is why we are making content which can be viewed across the world. And, this is why there are so many nominations this year. If we continue making such content, I am sure well have nominations every year.

But does it mean, we are at par with other industries or we still have a long way to go? Apte says, We will have to wait and see since we have been producing digital content only for two years now. So, lets give it another two-three years to see if our content becomes better or balanced or if it gets dumbed down.

While Indian web series are gaining prominence in the international sphere, a lot of debate is going on over their censorship in India. Violence, intimacy, obscene language and characters smoking on-screenscenes like these have often irked a section of the audience. The Sacred Games actor doesnt understand this criticism of online content for being inappropriate for the Indian audience.

She argues, The web is a great platform and reaches to a lot of people at the same time. You can watch both longer and shorter format stuff. Now whether if you use it to your advantage or you just waste your money on it, its on you. As a medium, I dont think theres anything bad in it. If we talk about the misuse of freedom in the absence of censorship, I dont agree with it at all. We are all becoming very right-wing. We are all so extreme, we are trying to ban everything. We have the freedom to express. What is misuse? I mean if two people are intimate, it happens in every household.

And, this is why she thinks her anthology film Lust Stories which is a take on Love, Sex and everything in between! found its audience in India. Theres nothing more common than sex. We are one of the most populated countries. People just dont like to talk about sex but they all relate to it. Its the most relatable thing. Lust, love, attraction, sex, all of them are the most relatable things. Thats what it is. Cinema is one the mediums where we feel emotions which we dont talk about openly, suggests Apte.

Apte will soon start work on Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel directorial Apple TV+s upcoming series Shantaram. It is based on Gregory David Roberts bestselling India-set novel of the same name. Talking about her decision to star in the series, the actor says, I accepted it without even knowing what my role was. I think that is because its such a big book. It is Apple first series. The people involved are really great, and I like their work. So I thought that it would be quite an interesting project to work on.

Lastly, we ask Apte who has surprised the audience with her every performance, to describe the evolution of Indian cinema. She replies, The content has changed, more people are up for this industry, there are more subjects and different stories being explored, suddenly our content is being consumed by audience across the world. So, the standard has changed. But I think it is still a male-dominant populace and there is still a lack of equal parts for women. We are still massy in many ways and we still have to do a lot of compromises.

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Radhika Apte on censorship of web content: We are all so extreme, we are trying to ban everything - The Indian Express