Radhika Apte criticises Telugu industry, calls it 'unbearable', 'male-chauvinist'

An old clip of Bollywood actor Radhika Apte criticising the patriarchy and male-dominance existing in the Telugu industry has resurfaced on social media. The clip was shared by industry tracker Unni Rajendran on X, formerly Twitter.

In the video, she can be seen telling an interviewer that she struggled while working in Telugu films and was treated like the 'third person'. “The industry I struggled the most with is Telugu. That is one industry that is so patriarchal, male dominant and sort of male chauvinistic, that it is unbearable. The way woman are treated and even their part in the films is like 'My man is god',” she said in the interview.

She also spoke out against the male actors in the industry. “They (film team) don't even ask the actors anything, because they are not in the mood and all. I constantly struggled and that is why I put an end to it,” she said.

The statement has courted controversy with some people claiming she made the statement just to tarnish the image of the film industry. Another user said the claims are baseless since actors like Sai Pallavi have been receiving pivotal roles in Telugu movies.

Others, however, defended the actor and said her statements are true. “This is obvious to anyone who has watched Telugu movies,” stated another X user.