Importance of chasing honesty in her performances is something actor Radhika Madan says she has learnt from director Vishal Bhardwaj, who launched her in Bollywood with his 2018 drama "Pataakha".
As a ritual, the actor seeks the director's blessings before starting work on a new film. The same happened with her next movie "Kuttey", which marks the directorial debut of the critically-acclaimed filmmaker's son, Aasmaan Bhardwaj.
"Vishal ji is like family to me. I have known Aasmaan since 'Pataakha', he was assisting Vishal ji. He was finishing his studies then and was writing a script at that point, but I didn't know it was 'Kuttey'. It had no name at that point," Madan told PTI in an interview here.
The Delhi-born actor, whose film credits also include "Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota" and "Angrezi Medium", said she still remembers the lessons she drew from her time spent on "Pataakha" sets.
"The one thing he has taught me is to live by my truth and not get lured by the delusion and superficiality of the industry. Always chase the truth and be honest. He doesn't tell me what to do and what not to do. He wants me to make my own career fall, rise and learn from my mistakes," she added.
Bhardwaj, who has produced and co-written "Kuttey" with his son, had approached Madan for the upcoming movie. While it was a no-brainer for her, the filmmaker insisted that she read the script before committing to the project.
"When Vishal ji called me, I was like, 'I am doing it'. But he said I must read the script. I read it and called him after two hours and said, 'I will do it', as it was an amazing script. The cast was a cherry on the cake. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity," she said.
Having worked with both Vishal Bhardwaj and Aasmaan Bhardwaj, Madan said the father comes with an abundance of experience, whereas the son is stricter and ambitious.
"The roots are the same and that's why you see an element of Vishal ji's world in Aasmaan's film. It is beautiful to see them work, they are different yet same," she added.
Billed as a caper-thriller, "Kuttey" will see the 27-year-old actor play Lovely, a character she described as edgy and short tempered.
"In Vishal ji's film, every female character is so well written and the same goes with this."
The film also boasts of talented ensemble actors such as Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kumud Mishra, Arjun Kapoor, and Shardul Bhardwaj, among others.
Madan said the realisation that she had shared the screen with industry stalwarts like Shah, Tabu and Sharma hit her only when the trailer of "Kuttey" was released.
"Whenever I was on sets, I saw them as characters. I didn't see them as individuals. But when the trailer came out, I got overwhelmed and that's when it hit me that I have worked with these people.
"It never hit me because they were so welcoming, grounded and secure. It is the environment they created that you only thought about your art and craft," she said.
What also made working on "Kuttey" memorable was that Madan was juggling the film with Homi Adajania's web series.
Calling the experience of simultaneously shooting two different projects in separate locations physically draining, the actor credited Aasmaan Bhardwaj and Adajania, her "Angrezi Medium" director, for helping her manage the double duty.
"I was juggling between Homi's web series that he was directing in Jaipur and shooting for ‘Kuttey’ in Mumbai. I used to finish my day shoot in Jaipur, take an evening flight for Mumbai, finish night shoot, fly back in morning and do day shoot there. Both Homi and Aasmaan made sure I am well prepared for both the characters so that it doesn’t mix or show on screen," she said.
Scheduled to be released in theatres on January 13, "Kuttey" is produced by Luv Ranjan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Ankur Garg and Rekha Bhardwaj under the banner of Luv Films and Vishal Bhardwaj Films, and presented by Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar's T-Series.
The film's music is scored by Vishal Bhardwaj with lyrics penned by Gulzar.
