Rajkummar Rao, Radhika Apte on the manic, mental world of ‘Monica O My Darling’

The actors discuss their upcoming crime-thriller directed by Vasan Bala, and why they don’t mind being part of remakes if done right

Both Rajkummar Rao and Radhika Apte exchange knowing looks at the mention of one of the most dreaded questions that actors across India are subjected to nowadays: “What is your take on the whole pan-Indian phenomenon…”

But to be fair, the question does seem to apply to both of them; actors who have built their careers by appealing to a cross-section of audiences across the country.

From Aligarh and Newton to the recent highs of Badhaai Do and HIT, Rajkummar’s filmography is a lesson on an outsider making it in Bollywood, while Radhika’s diverse range in successful projects like Hunterrr, Kabali, A Call to Spy, Sacred Games and Andhadhun have catapulted her to national and international fame. .

Now, the duo stars in Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota filmmaker Vasan Bala’s crime-thriller Monica O My Darling releasing on Netflix, along with a star cast that includes Huma Qureshi, Sikandar Kher, Bagavathi Perumal and Zayn Marie Khan, poised to bring their pop culture-heady director’s vision to life.

Coming back to the topic from earlier. “I think I speak for both Radhika and myself when I say that we have never been — or don’t think ever will be — those kinds of actors who wonder how much this will make at the box-office, or how many languages it can be dubbed into. The only thing we always look for is the story, how we can make it, and the different challenges we face from an acting perspective. The lines are blurring anyway, and the reach is so huge irrespective of how a film or show releases...I just go with my gut always,” says Raj on the way forward, on Bollywood adapting to the pan-Indian wave.

Radhika agrees, “Yes, I mean the mode of release is never up to me, and anyway, I never choose a script based on if it’s a theatrical or streaming release. It is a cherry on top when it comes to a platform I like working with.”

Their upcoming project, while being a streaming release, could make a case for being anticipated by fans all over India. By the looks of it, the film seems like a neo-noir murder-mystery that has multiple suspects and coincidences embroiled together, akin to Knives Out or Murder on the Orient Express. Combine that with a filmmaker who has a penchant for throwing Easter eggs into the narrative, and co-stars with cracking chemistry.