Give her something out of the ordinary and Radhika Apte will lap it up. In that regard, her recent release OK Computer, a futuristic comedy about how technology rules mankind in 2031, is right up her alley. But the actor throws a curveball as she begins the interview by saying, “I am not a huge fan of the sci-fi genre. That said, there are some brilliant films like The Terminator series, Blade Runner (1982) and The Fly (1986). For me, the most fascinating aspect of these movies is their philosophy and not the cool gadgets they come with. The writing is original, [making] these movies individualistic and quirky.”

Ask her what made her come on board the Disney+Hotstar web series, given her lack of interest in the genre, and Apte attributes it to her quest for new subjects. “I am never afraid of failure. Unless you take the risk of failing, you can’t try anything new. Even if the show doesn’t pan out how we wanted, it’s an important experiment for everybody.” Building her case further, the actor points out that though Indian cinema has taken giant strides in the past few years, it has not tapped the potential of sci-fi movies yet. She hopes the Anand Gandhi-directed satire, despite its mixed reviews, will pave the way for similar outings. “I can’t recall any good sci-fi Indian film besides Mr India (1987). My knowledge is probably limited, but I can’t even think of five Hindi films [in the genre].”