‘Huma has the glam role... I’m the talent’

Richa Chadda on playing an old woman in Wasseypur part two; gets picky with offers

One of the strongest actors to emerge from the first part of Gangs of Wasseypur (GOW) was Richa Chadda, who plays Nagma Khatoon, the feisty wife of Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpayee). In part two, however, as the story moves ahead, Richa will play an older woman. About the challenges of the role, she says, “I had a tough time with the prosthetics to make me look fatter, the wigs and the make-up that caused irritation. So, physically, it was taxing, while emotionally too it was tough. People won’t recognise me.”
With Huma Qureshi (as Mohsina) moving into a major role now, is Richa feeling insecure? “Not at all. Hers is the glamorous role, while mine is about the performance. I am the talent in this film,” she laughs, denying that there is rivalry between the two. “We are friends and we talk if anything bothers us.”

The movie will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (starting September 6), and Richa will head there with the cast. After that, she’ll begin shooting for a short film with Mira Nair in October.
“I have also signed a film with Ravi Rai (director). It’s about the struggle of young people who come to Mumbai hoping for brighter prospects. I’ve got several offers post GOW, but I am weighing my options.”
We believe that Richa was also offered Masti 2 and a film by a new director who earlier assisted Karan Johar. But she says, “I haven’t met the makers yet, so there’s nothing to talk about.” What about signing Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela? “I don’t want to comment on it,” she says.