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Hailing from Delhi, Radhika Madan is an Indian Actress working in Television shows and films since 2014. She is most known for portraying Ishaani in the show Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi. Being an enthusiast dancer, she took part in the dance reality show Jhalak Dikkla Jaa in 2015. Radhika debuted in Bollywood with the drama film Pataakha in 2018.
Early Life
Born on May 1, 1995, Radhika Madan is the daughter of Sujit Madan, a Businessman and Neeru Madan, a painter. Being middle-class Punjabi, she lived in a small family of four people: her parents and elder brother Arjun. Raised in Delhi, Radhika did her schooling at Delhi Public School, New Delhi. Later, she enrolled at Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, for an undergraduate course in commerce.
Since childhood, Radhika has been very fond of dancing. As a result, she joined dancing classes while in 8th standard. There she learnt many dance forms, including Jazz, hip-hop & ballet. Apart from that, she also worked as an instructor. Dreaming of being a Dancing star, Radhika Madan enrolled at a dance company in New York. She was just about to leave India when the team of the show ‘Meri Aashiqui Tumse hi’ approached her. As Radhika was never into acting, Initially, she left the set and ran away frightening. It was pretty difficult for her to portray emotions, specifically crying. Soon she got used to it and became a household name with her character ‘Ishaani’.
Career
Radhika Madan began her acting journey with the television show Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi in 2014. Produced by Balaji Telefilms, The show was based on the British novel Wuthering Heights. Radhika played the character of Ishaani and received appreciation for her performance. She gained many awards and nominations, including Indian Telly awards for Best Fresh New face, Gold Awards for Gold debut in the lead role and Indian Television Academy awards for Youth Icon of the year. In the following year, 2015, Radhika participated in the ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa – Reloaded’, The dancing reality show’.
Radhika in the show Meri Aashiqui tumse hi
Bollywood
After the initial television shows, Radhika Madan thought to jump into Bollywood. She made her debut film Pataakha in the year 2018. Alongside actress Sanya Malhotra, Radhika played the lead role of Champa ‘Badki’ Kumari. Both the actress worked hard for the film. They learnt everything ranging from Rajasthani Dialect to milking buffaloes to walking for long distances while balancing matkas full of water. This comedy-drama film fetched many awards and recognition. Along with that, Radhika and Sanya were equally appreciated for their performance. One of the reviews by Raja sen stated, “Radhika Madan positively shines in this bossy role, unwavering in dialect and determination.”
Radhika made her second appearance in the film Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota in 2018. The film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section. It was awarded the People’s Choice Award: Midnight Madness. Also, The film was fortunate enough to be screened at the MAMI Film Festival of 2018. Radhika found ‘uniqueness’ in this film and thus left her audition for Laila Majnu for this action-comedy. Dedicatedly, she did the physical preparations for her character and watched various classic action films to get familiar with the genre. As a result, she performed all the stunts by herself. Pradeep Menon of Firstpost, while reviewing Radhika, commented, “she sparkles in the action sequences.” The film went well, and Radhika’s performance was applauded.
Present
Recently, In 2020, Radhika Madan appeared in the film Angrezi Medium: a comedy-drama. She played the lead role of Tarika ‘Taru’, daughter of ‘Champak’, the lead actor Irrfan Khan. The film was a spiritual sequel to Hindi Medium, released in 2017. “She captures the unforced innocence of a 17-year-old, desperate to get out of her small town and see the world”, writes Anupama Chopra. Although Radhika’s performance was appreciated, the film did not go very well at the box office. Lastly, In 2021, the actress appeared in the romantic drama film Shiddat, which premiered on Disney+ Hotstar. She played the lead role of Kratika opposite the actor Sunny Kaushal.
Radhika’s Hard work and determination
During the beginning of her career, Radhika Madan faced rejections and hurdles. But with persistence, she did not give up and kept going. From her story, we can learn that hard work is the key to success. When you face failures, never give up and always believe in yourself. Facing failures makes you stronger and prepares you for what’s to come.