Known for her excellent acting skills and playing several iconic characters including Fukrey’s Bholi Punjaban, Masaan’s Devi Pathak and Gangs of Wasseypur’s Nagma Khatoon; Richa Chadha has surely left her mark in the Hindi film industry.
Chadha’s entry into the industry happened with the comedy movie Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008). In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, the actress shared that she was spotted by director Kanu Behl when she was performing in a play at Barry John’s Acting Studio. Behl got his team to audition Chadha for the role of Abhay Deol’s (the lead in the movie) sister and the actress landed the role.
Since then, Chadha has appeared in several Hindi films and has garnered a cult following. She has received a Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) in 2012 for her supporting role in the gangster saga Gangs of Wasseypur (2012).
Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s interfaith marriage
Much like his wife, Ali Fazal has garnered a cult following especially after his notable performance in the series Mirzapur (2018-present). Richa and Ali met on the sets of Fukrey (2012) and started dating in 2015.
The pair got married in 2020 and announced it two years later publicly in 2022. In her interview, Chadha shared that they got married under the special marriage act and that Covid helped them keep it a secret.
Under the special marriage act, the names and photos of the two individuals getting married are displayed on a notice board for a month in case anybody wants to object to the match. Chadha stated that it is an “absurd rule” which was probably brought about because of marriage-related issues in India like honour killing.
Chadha and Fazal got married in 2020 when Covid was at its peak, and so the public display of their names and photos did not come to anyone’s notice. This helped them have more control over when they wanted to publicly announce their wedding. They announced and celebrated their wedding post the pandemic in 2022.
When asked how married life has been for her, Chadha said that it is “very nice” and “lovely”.
Upcoming documentary on Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s wedding
Chadha and Fazal recently shared a teaser of RiAlity, a wedding documentary directed by Rahul Sigh Dutta. Dutta aimed to capture handy-cam-style behind-the-scenes of dreamy weddings, by taking into account the perspectives of the couple’s close ones.
Chadha stated that the reality behind fairytale weddings “is a mix of emotions – joy, anxiety, excitement and everything in between”. Fazal added, “Love is profound, it is messy, and yet worth moving worlds for […] This document is our way of saying, ‘This is us – flaws, dreams, and all. And there is a bit of you in us and a bit of us in all of you’”.
Richa Chadha on Fukrey 3 and playing iconic characters
Fukrey 3 is swiftly moving towards collecting 100 crores at the box office, as fans of the franchise filled up hauls to watch the comedy film.
With regards to the humour in the Fukrey franchise, Chadha said, “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea and it doesn’t have to be. We make it for the fans of the franchise who watch it and love it every time”.
Richa Chadha seeks “mast kirdars”
Chadha shared that she looks for interesting characters to play because she gets to learn something new from them and she likes to try new accents and looks.
She added that Bholi Punjaban is a “mast kirdar” (amazing, fascinating character) who represents conflict in the film. Chadha also shared that many people around her questioned her decision to be in the film as in 2013, when the first Fukrey was released, all actresses were doing “chiffon introductions”.
Those around her questioned why she wanted to play a “rough and tough character” as this would never let her land “heroine roles”. She shared that they reacted similarly to her other choices as well.
With Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, she was asked why she was willing to play a sister’s role. For Gangs of Wasseypur, she was asked why she wanted to play an older woman’s character. When it came to Masaan (2015), people asked her why she was willing to do an explicit sex scene.
“You tell me, where would I be without these films?”, the actress asked in her interview. She stated that she does not take people’s advice unless she has specifically asked for it.
