Don’t mess with me, says ‘karate kid’ Radhika Apte

Counted among the country’s most talented new-age actors, Radhika Apte is known for some of her intense and definitive performances in films, television, shorts as well as plays. Just recently, we saw her in Vasan Bala’s Monica, O My Darling - a neo-noir, crime comedy thriller that was released on Netflix. She has also played memorable roles in films and shows like Vikram Vedha, Parched, Ahalya, Manjhi – The Mountain Man, Andhadhun, Sacred Games and Ghoul. While her acting prowess is known to all, not many people are aware that as a child, Radhika took interest in sports - in karate, no less. 

The actor surprised her fans and followers on Instagram recently by sharing a picture of herself in karate uniform, along with a few other kids and their karate master. “Do not mess with me 🥋 #karatekid #throwbacktothe90s #oldgoldenchildhoodphotos”, she captioned the photograph. Her Monica, O My Darling co-actor Huma Qureshi was quick to respond to the post with an “Awww”, while actor Sikandar Kher wrote, “Arre arre arre 💥”, followed by comedian Abish Mathew saying, “Black belt suits you”. Born in Vellore and brought up in Pune, Radhika once said during an interview that while growing up, she went to a Marathi medium school, and her only exposure to cinema and theatre was local.

This isn’t the first time that Radhika has shared a ‘blast from the past’ on social media. Did you know she is also a trained kathak dancer? The actor had gotten all nostalgic when some time in 2021, Jackie Shroff - who acted with her in Disney Hotstar sci-fi series OK Computer - shared a rare video of a young Radhika practising her classical dance skills. She posted the clip on Instagram and wrote, “@apnabhidu 🥰🥰🥰 thank you for sending this to me!!! This memory had left my little brain! You brought it back to life! ❤️”. Remember, her dance performance with choreographer Terence Lewis a few years ago was also admired by many.