Radhika Apte made her debut in Kollywood with the film "Kabali," directed by Pa Ranjith. She has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, and Bengali films, carving a niche for herself primarily in Bollywood with movies like "Andhadhun," "Lust Stories," and "Parched."
Additionally, she has been vocal in supporting women in the film industry on various occasions. Notably, she has appeared in Telugu films such as "Legend" and "Lion," alongside Balakrishna.
In the interview, Radhika Apte used strong language while discussing with Rajeev Masand, the film critic, stating that Tollywood is a patriarchal and male-dominated industry.
“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 women are treated and even their part in the films is like ‘My man is god’,” she said in the interview.
Social media users' perspectives are mixed in response to her words, which have triggered profound online discussions.
Many Telugu fans are sharing comments against Radhika Apte.
One fan wrote, "How many Telugu films have you done?
Another one commented " That doesn't mean all other heroes are like that. Work with Chiranjeevi and Prabhas. See how they treat actresses. Then criticize the Telugu film industry. Besides, patriarchy is almost everywhere."
On the other hand, many of Balakrishna's fans are also questioning how to criticize him as he has only acted with Radhika Apte in Telugu films.
Some are also sharing comments in support of Radhika Apte.