Richa Chadda

I am an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. After debuting with a bit role in the comedy film Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!(2008), I worked as a supporting actress in several films. My major breakthrough was a supporting role in the film Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), where my role as the bellicose and extremely foul-tongued wife of a gangster earned a Filmfare award. My sole foray into mainstream cinema has been as a supporting character in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela(2013). In 2015, I made my debut in a leading role with the drama Masaan, playing a girl caught in a blackmail situation after indulging in casual sex. The film got a 'standing ovation' when screened at the Cannes film festival. The film has been cited as a milestone in my career and through it I said to have created a niche for myself in the Hindi film industry. I have also worked in theatre, essaying the role of a married Delhi-based women in Trivial Disasters (2014). In May 2016, I revealed in an interview to NDTV that I had suffered from bulimia (an eating disorder) for several years, and that I had recovered after seeking professional help from a clinical psychiatrist. Attributing my eating disorder topatriarchy, misogyny and the prevalence of the 'male gaze' in the field of entertainment, I exhorted other women to go public with their own (patriarchy-induced) eating and mental disorders and called for the destruction of 'ways of thinking' which oppressed women. While I have established myself to be a powerful actress thanks to my varied choice of roles in my film, very little is known about me as a dancer. I have trained myself in Kathak and Contemporary on a professional level. I am extremely passionate about my craft and would like to spread the same passion to the likes of many. Co incidentally, my first ever dance movie will be releasing in the next month. ‘Cabaret’ will have me dance and swing to songs for the first time on a 70 mm screen. My passion for Dance is what has made me take up such a bold and risky role. I would like to be a face of an exclusive campaign for Ketto where I can help fund an upcoming dancer. The idea here is to create an opportunity for someone who is as passionate to his / her craft as mine. Dance as scholarship isn’t big in India and I would like to voice her support towards this thought.