Richa Chadha reveals she ‘opted out’ of scenes in Kangana Ranaut starrer Panga film because she didn't think her part was as ‘meaty’ as she had been told

Actress Richa Chadha, who is receiving much appreciation for her role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’, discussed her experience working on the film Panga and disclosed that she attempted to abandon the project when she realized it was ‘going south.’

Richa has previously talked about working with actor Kangana Ranaut, whose political opinions are often viewed as being in sharp contrast to Richa's own liberal viewpoints. In January 2020, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's film Panga was released, however, it failed to make much of an effect at the box office.

During an interview with Galatta Plus, Richa was questioned about taking on a supporting part in Panga, even though she had previously stated that she thought this would be considered a demotion by the film industry. She said, “I kind of opted out of a lot of scenes in that one, I’ll tell you… Especially towards the end. I was excited about it because I thought the film would be about female athletes, and how the choices are even more tough for them, in between having a child and…” She further added, “Somewhere along the line, it went south, for me. So, I was like, ‘Give me a guest appearance’.”

When asked whether Richa had signed on as a parallel lead, she stated, “I would say it had more meat, definitely… It’s not about the supporting part, the small part, the special appearance. None of that really matters to me, because I feel like I hold my own no matter where I am.”

Richa has previously stated that she heard a "vague narration" and decided to work on the film. As she told Indian Express, “I have never had a problem working with anyone. I get along with everyone unless they are douches and then I just hate them.”

On the work front, Richa was recently seen in ‘Heeramandi’ where she portrayed the character of a courtesan named Lajjo, who drinks herself to death after her lover deserts her. On May 1, the series was released to mixed reviews.