'Chase' becomes learning platform for Radhika

Actor Radhika Chetan is excited as the post-production of ‘Chase’ is on. The actor vouches that she was able to overcome her fear for dogs and learnt some action moves through the film.

After shooting in extreme cold temperatures in Manali, the actor who will be playing a significant role in the thriller was pushed to explore things that she had never before. 

“My character Nidhi loves dogs and she has a Labrador named Bruno. Playing this role was quite a challenge as I am not a pet person, in fact I would always stay away from dogs even when visiting friends. I have never owned a dog or a cat and this was a big move for me,” says Radhika. 

She says that the director encouraged her to trust dogs more.

“I am scared of dogs and it wasn’t easy to get over it. Thankfully, the dog was a very sweet and cheerful dog who adjusted to me quite well. I was encouraged to take him for walks and be around him more so that the scenes went well. I also read up and looked up videos on YouTube about how to be with dogs,” she says.    

She adds, “There were scenes where the dog licks ne and I had to be okay with that. The caretaker of the dog taught me how to hold the leash and many specifics. I look forward to spending time with dogs at my friend’s place now and might even adopt one some day.” The learning process didn’t stop there. Radhika had an action sequence in the film which required some practice sessions.

“I trained in Kravmaga, an Iranian martial artform and Karate, under Chetan D’Souza at Chaos Factory. He made the process comfortable and always told me to enjoy the sessions, just like I enjoy dance,” she adds. 

For Radhika, hitting someone can be quite a challenge. “To fight my opponent during the scene was quite a task, I was very gentle. I had bruises from scenes and also had to do a retake.”

She adds, “I realised that the response of one’s opponent magnifies their screen presence. It was good to have tried something new. I also told Chetan that I wanted to come back for more classes as it helped me in strength-building and know my body better.”