Richa Chadda: Festivals are now Bollywood launch pads

With some powerful performances in her kitty, Richa Chadda has already proved her mettle as an actress, even though she is yet to make her debut as a leading lady in a film. With an award-winning performance in Gangs Of Wasseypur I and II to back herself, Richa will now be seen in a leading role in Tamanchey along with Nikhil Dwivedi and she accepts that it is rather “difficult to carry the entire” film on one’s shoulders. But she is looking forward to it. Richa, who was in Ahmedabad recently to promote the film, talked about being a natural when it comes to acting, exploring different mediums and more in a chat with AT. Excerpts:We have seen you essaying some powerful female characters and all of them have been rustic in tone. You think you have been typecast?I think you should ask these questions to those big names who continue doing the same kind of roles with only character names changing from one film to the other. So many of them are playing the same bubbly Punjabi girl or a girl next door or a policeman and an angry cop one after the other.After already proving yourself as an actress, you are now making your debut as a leading lady.What’s most important is that the audience should like the film. There is so much competition these days that the film only gets the initial three days to make an impression. There is no breathing time either for films. We have waited for a long time to get proper release dates as small budget and independent films cannot even think of releasing along with a big budget film.READ: Firstlook: Richa Chadda playing de- glam ParoSo you think it’s only how much you can cash in on the first three days that matters and nothing else in a film?The business of film-making has changed so much that it’s not funny. Today, Indian festivals are now Bollywood launch pads, in a way. People are making and finishing films according to the released dates they book years in advance. The target is the right release date and not making a decent film. Concepts like silver jubilee are out of our vocabulary. It’s all about the weekend.You seem to have an old school of thought.Yes, I belong to the old school. I believe in doing things the old fashioned way. I feel every actor should do theatre and then make a move into movies or any other medium. When I started doing theatre, it felt like I was warming up for the bigger innings. The feeling of performing live in front of an audience is unmatchable.WATCH: Saif Ali Khan to romance Richa Chadda