Actress Richa Chadha, who plays a public prosecutor named Hinal Mehta in the upcoming courtroom drama Section 375, says she put a lot of thought into her on-screen character.
“I put a lot of myself in the film. When I was building the character, I put a lot of my thoughts in presenting her. My character is a public prosecutor. Practically, public prosecutors don’t earn a lot unless they are at the top of the game. So, why is she so adamant about getting justice in this case? That is where I channelised a lot of righteous anger I feel like an individual in the present situation. I feel angry at the sexism in our film industry, as well as in society. The #MeToo movement was a wakeup call. So I poured a lot of thought on these matters, and into the character,” Richa told IANS.
Section 375 is a courtroom drama where Richa plays the public prosecutor who is fighting the case of a rape victim Anjali Dangle, played by Meera Chopra.
Starting her career in 2008 with Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, Richa made her mark with roles in the Gangs Of Wasseypur series, the Fukrey series, Masaan, and Daas Dev.
According to the actress, she has a certain process of building a character by using her imagination to create a backstory.
Giving an example, she explained: “Since Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! was my debut film, I made up a backstory of my character Dolly. I asked questions in my mind such as where did she grow up, what kind of friend circle she has, which dialect does she speak in, and what kind of food she prefers to eat. Although she does not know how to speak in English, she tries, and that is why she speaks wrong English.”
“Yet, I have used these elements in a way that the audiences do not pity her, because this wrong English-speaking is coming from a certain innocence. She feels insecure that she can’t speak that language. As an actor it is my job to put such thoughts while building my character,” shared the multiple award-winning actresses.
Directed by Ajay Bahl, Section 375 also features Akshaye Khanna. The film is scheduled to release on September 13.