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Richa Chadha opens up on her character of a sex worker in audio show ‘Baby Doll’

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Bollywood actress Richa Chadha shares her experience of working in the audio show, ‘Baby Doll’ opposite Jaideep Ahlawat. The story revolves around a sex worker, Baby (Richa), her pain and revenge.

Richa says: “I play a character called Baby whose actual name is Babita Rani, and she is somebody who probably got trafficked when she was a child, and has been in this sort of trade against her will. She’s a commercial sex worker so she’s been in this trade for a while and she’s not happy.

“But she learned to live with her reality. And there’s still an assemblance of like, niceness and morality in her, even though she’s in one of the most looked down upon professions and as a character also.”

While talking about the USP of this audio show, the ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ actress shares: “I think the USP of the show will definitely be the story and the characters. The directors work very hard on creating this show. And I think that it’s got a cliffhanger approach across the whole 14-15 episodes.

“Even in the end it is kind of like, it ends on a note where you wonder whether there’ll be a season two or if this is the end of this character, and it’s kind of like the story of the underdog.”

On sharing about the challenges of narration and preparation for it, she says: “We did a lot of readings Ato get the character right because you know, this is how I normally talk and sound but when we have to do this like a hinterland Hindi character then it has to be real. She has to have a little crassness or little bit of course language also, she’s a sex worker. We have used words which typically you will not hear on camera or on radio. We’ve said words, and we’ve done things which typically you don’t get to see in a podcast or even on camera.”

You’ve played different roles. How you found this different from previous ones, she adds: “I’ve played a sex worker before, never for a podcast. It is very different in terms of this character’s throwing caution to the wind kind of attitude is what makes her a winner in my book. And that’s what will make the show on Audible also something that you can relate to you where you will feel funny, like after a few episodes that you are rooting for this character, even though you know, she doesn’t really fit the moral compass of most of the audience.”

The actress calls her overall experience of working in the podcast fulfilling, as she comments: “My experience of working on this was really quite incredible. We had good producers, both from Audible and the people who are handling it on their behalf from sound and vision. This is an original story. It’s really about, like the hinterland, and I really hope that people can, like enjoy it for what it is. It’s one of those pulpy novels, but now narrated through the voice of the female lead. And I think that’s what makes it really interesting.”

Richa, after debuting in a small role in the comedy film ‘Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!’, got a breakthrough with a supporting role in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.

How she looks at her journey in the entertainment industry, the actress replies: “I feel like I’m just like, at the first quarter of my journey, to be honest. I’ve seen everything change so rapidly in the last 10 years since I’ve been active. And I think that it’s only going to get better. For true artists to actors, it’s a good time. And now that I’m entering into production and writing, it’s a very fulfilling phase because you can use more than just your face and your body, you know, you can see things in the world with the work you put out.”

About her upcoming projects, she reveals: “There’s ‘Fukrey 3’, which is a hugely successful franchise, which is what we’re currently shooting for. There are basically three films. I wish I could announce them right now but I can’t. I mean, I’m shooting one in July one after that, there’s one film on mental health and then there’s a crossover film in the UK. These are the confirmed projects. There’s of course S2 ‘A Great Indian Murder’ and things like that. So it’s going to be a full full full year.”

Like many celebs, she is keen on doing reality shows, the actress says: “What kind of reality show if it’s a reality show where you know like these two people go on highways and eat local street food Yeah, I’m game for that. But the reality show consists of me being in like captivity, like a house with other people and forcibly fighting with them or being locked up somewhere, that never, ever, ever!”

Written by Pravesh Bhardwaj, the audio show ‘Baby Doll’ is available on Audible.

Bollywood

Indian cinemas biggest stars rally behind WAVES 2025 event in Mumbai

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Mumbai, April 19: The who’s who of the Indian film industry are set to attend the WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) in Mumbai.

On Saturday, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Railways of India took to his X, formerly Twitter, and shared a promotional video featuring the biggest stars of Indian cinema including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Vikrant Massey and Nagarjuna.

In the video, the actors talk about the upcoming event, and also reveal that the conversation will be taken forward by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

It’s also revealed in the video that the event will see thought leaders from the entertainment industry, and pioneers across the industries lending their inputs to the event.

The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) is a global platform that unites pioneers, visionaries, and aspiring creatives from the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry.

The event is organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Create in India Challenge, and is poised to be a groundbreaking forum for discussions, collaborations, and transformative innovations.

It is sponsored by Netflix and orchestrated by Reskilll, and is set to redefine the future of storytelling, filmmaking, and digital content creation.

Waves Summit 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary. With over 3,000 applications, only the top 600 candidates were meticulously selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The ‘Trailer Making Competition’, the event’s crown jewel, saw an overwhelming 134 entries, showcasing an array of creative talents eager to make their mark in the industry.

The event has seen over 3,000 applications, of which top 600 candidates have been selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The event is set to be held in Mumbai from May 1 to May 4 in the BKC area of Mumbai.

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Bollywood

A.R. Rahman reveals how news about his personal life affects his mental state

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Mumbai, April 17: Music maestro A.R. Rahman, currently preparing for his ambitious “Wonderment” tour, has admitted that news and rumours about him do take a toll on his mental well-being. In an exclusive conversation with Media, A.R. Rahman opened up about his preparation for the ‘Wonderment’ tour, the use of AI in music, his mental state, and much more.

When asked, “Music requires a happy state of mind, do news and rumours about you that circulate everywhere affect you?”

Rahman replied, “I think every artist goes through this. Sometimes they are in a very, very sad state, and they have to do ‘Chhaiya Chhaiya’ or ‘Hamma Hamma’. You can’t say I’m not in the mood. They will go to somebody else. Sometimes you are very happy, and they want you to do the saddest song. You should be ready for it. In music, you have to be in a very neutral condition. You are almost like an actor. You are sad inside but you have to play happy.”

When further inquired , “But as an artist and as a human being, does it really affect you when you read so much about yourself.” Opening about it Rahman quipped, ‘It does, It does affect but it’s part of the game. The ups and downs.”

For the unversed, A.R. Rahman’s wife announced her divorce with him in the month of November 2024. Soon a social media post went viral accusing Rahman of having an extra-marital affair with one of his band members which led Rahman to issue a statement. He also announced to take a legal action against those spreading defamatory news about him.

Further during the conversation, A.R. also spoke about his health and shared a message with his fans stating “Thank you for all the love. Sorry to have scared you. The hospital gave something which went viral. I am here healthy with all your prayers and love. See you on the 3rd at D.Y. Patil stadium.”

In the month of March, A.R. Rahman was admitted to the hospital in Chennai due to chest pain.

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Bollywood

R Madhavan reflects on his glorious 25 Years: ‘A Journey beyond my wildest dreams’

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Mumbai, April 14: One of the most versatile actors, R Madhavan marked 25 glorious years in the Indian film industry on Monday.

The ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’ actor chose to commemorate the occasion in the most soulful and humble way, with a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Joining him were his ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ co-stars, Akshay Kumar, and Ananya Panday, as the trio sought blessings ahead of their much-anticipated film’s release on April 18.

Madhavan took to his official IG and dropped a picture of him offering prayers, alongside Akshay and Ananya.

He penned a heartfelt note on the photo-sharing app, reflecting on his 25 wonderful years in the Indian cinema.

He said, “25 Glorious, Wonderful, Rewarding and Blessed years as a Film actor…. Journeys beyond my wildest dreams…with Ecstasy and Agony for constant companion, yet with all the LOVE earned that overwhelms my Heart to this day…. And So… during this very spontaneous Pilgrimage on this very Auspicious and Special day (14th April 2000 when my FIRST FILM ALAIPAYUTHEY Released)..Just To Surrender and show GRATITUDE for all the blessings that can either be Explained nor Justified AAAAA.. Thank You and Guide me.”

As mentioned in the post, Madhavan made his debut with Mani Ratnam’s 2000 flick “Alai Payuthey” and never looked back since.

From memorable roles in “Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein”, “3 Idiots”, and “Tanu Weds Manu” to the critically acclaimed “Shaitaan”, Madhavan’s journey has been rich with diverse characters and impactful stories.

Now, he is looking at another powerful performance as Advocate Neville McKinley in “Kesari Chapter 2”.

A spiritual sequel to the 2019 outing, “Kesari”, the film is a cinematic adaptation of the book “The Case That Shook The Empire” by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, centred around C. Sankaran Nair and the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The Karan Singh Tyagi’s directorial has been produced by Dharma Productions, Leo Media Collective, and Cape of Good Films.

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