Richa Chadda reveals that the director went with his instinct by casting her in their upcoming film 'Gangs of Wasseypur'

There are few actresses in the Hindi film industry who truly mean it when they claim to have the patience to wait for a good role. Richa Chadda is surely one of them.

Nearly four years ago, she made her debut in the National Award-winning Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! as Neetu Chandra's sensuous sister, it was apparent that the audience would be seeing more of her in the future. Somehow that didn't materialise.

In fact, we are yet to see her star in her second film. But thankfully her prolonged wait will end very soon. In a freewheeling chat, the actress tells us why she went obscure for quite a long while...

You had an accident last month during a shoot, what's the news on that front?
I had a knee injury while shooting an action sequence but I'm perfectly fine now. I even went to Cannes for the film's premiere a few days later following the accident. But I made sure I followed my doctor's tips.

How was your experience at the film festival?
Wonderful! Loved every single minute of my stay there. By the way, I was hoping to bump into Johnny Depp. He's simply delicious!

Did that happen?
No. (grins)



It's been a while since your debut film, what were you up to in the meantime?
Soon after Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, I turned my attention to theatre and also signed up for Anurag Kashyap's epic project at the same time. And I've been busy with shooting since it started in the middle of August 2010. I also performed in a theatre production and travelled for the same.

So that means you were busy with work...
Yes. And in any case, it's better to wait for a good movie than give up easily to do the not-so-good ones.

How do you rate Anurag as a director?
Brilliance personified. Moreover, I'm sure there were many other actresses who would have loved to be cast in my role but he went with his gut instinct. Yes, he can be really eccentric at times but then, he's a genuine sweetheart too.

And you are co-starring Manoj Bajpai — someone who, like you, comes from a theatre background?
He's so naturally talented and enriching. I play his wife in this film and we share an effortless chemistry.



Can you recall any funny incident that took place during the shoot?
We were in UP and there was this particular scene where they bagged my belly with almost five kilos of silicon to make the baby bump look authentic.

And I was supposed to run and when I did so, the village womenfolk gathered around me and started chastising on how an expecting woman should behave! (laughs) Anurag had to intervene and inform them that we were just shooting for a film.

What kind of roles are you looking forward to?
I prefer those which when removed from the script, affect the entire film and not just me.

Who do you look up to as an actress?
I think Rekha and Madhuri Dixit were phenomenal as they were not only beautiful and gifted but also able to carry a film on their shoulders.