Radhika Apte on why she refuses to count her debut film despite completing 20 years in cinema

Radhika Apte has completed 20 years in the film industry, but the milestone comes with a candid reflection on a debut she would rather forget. The actor recently spoke about her first film experience and did not shy away from calling it deeply unpleasant.

Radhika made her screen debut with Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!, a film that featured Shahid Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Amrita Rao and Arshad Warsi. While the film marked her entry into Hindi cinema, she says the experience left her disillusioned early on.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Radhika spoke openly about the treatment she received during the film. She pointed to serious lapses on the production side and named producer Sangeetha Ahir while describing the situation. “The awful producers didn’t put me up, didn’t pay me. When my mother and I asked them to sign a contract, they said, ‘Arey, even Urmila Matondkar didn’t sign a contract. I don’t know if she signed or not,’ but they treated us horribly. Mahesh Manjrekar was a great guy. That’s why I like to forget my film because the production was awful! And I say it out loud,” she said.

Radhika played a supporting role in the film and explained that the project came her way through theatre. At the time, she was actively performing on stage and had not planned a full time film career. “I was doing a play called Brain Surgeon. It was a good play, and we won an award in a state competition. Mahesh Manjrekar was one of the judges. He called me after the play and said, ‘I want to cast you. Then I didn’t do a film for a long time. I finished college, and then I went back to films after a long time. So, I don’t really count that as one of the films I did. But yeah, it’s been two decades,” she added.

Over the years, Radhika has built a career across independent cinema, mainstream films and digital platforms, gradually earning recognition for her choices rather than early opportunities.

She is currently receiving positive responses for Saali Mohabbat, a psychological thriller streaming on ZEE5 since December 12, 2025. The film marks Tisca Chopra’s debut as a feature director and has screened at festivals such as IFFI and the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.

For Radhika, the journey reflects growth shaped as much by setbacks as by success.