Radhika Madan was told she needed surgery while auditioning for films, says "But mujhe toh main bahut sahi lagti hun"

Radhika Madan loves her imperfections. So when the actress was told that she’d have to get a surgery after she quit TV and was eyeing for roles in films and be of a particular shape and size to be in the industry she paid no heed to such advice. She loves herself as she was and that is what mattered. The Angrezi Medium actress got candid about her journey with Humans of Bombay and said that be it her unibrow as a teen or her height, she’s never let other make her insecure about herself.

Talking about her days on TV when she starred in ‘Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi’, Radhika said, “At 17, I auditioned for a TV show & within 3 days I was in Bombay, shooting. But it was tough. I barely got time to sleep, which led to me gaining a few kilos. Then, I heard rumours about me getting replaced & that pushed me to explore my limits. So I began working out & lost myself to my character. And I realised, this is my high…this is what I want to do!”

Radhika then decided to quit TV and chase her Bollywood dream in the fear of getting to comfortable with her television success, “I got more TV offers, but I told myself, ‘You’re only 19, if you choose comfort, you’ll get stuck.’ So, I quit TV to do films. I began auditioning, but I faced rejections. I was told I needed to have a particular shape & size, & that I needed surgery. But mujhe toh main bahut sahi lagti hun. Who are these people to tell me I’m not pretty? But for the next 1.5 years I didn’t get work. It's easy to doubt yourself at such a Time, but I knew the journey is more important than the destination. So I made an effort to enjoy my auditions! Soon, I signed my first film as other projects followed."

She further added, “I remember I’d gained 12 kgs for a role to look older, & I auditioned for a 17-year-old character, both in a month! But I had only one motto–just have fun! That audition turned out to be one of my best & I got the part!”

Sharing her mantra of loving yourself Radhika concluded, “I think the key is to love yourself fiercely because what you see in yourself is what others see in you. If I’d been insecure, people would’ve fed on that fear. So whether it’s as a kid who didn't care about her unibrow or an adult who thinks her height is cute, I celebrated my imperfections. I know I don't have to fit someone else’s definition of perfection–I’m imperfectly perfect & I love it!”⠀