From 'Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye' to 'Masaan', the unconventional roles that define Richa Chadda

New Delhi: Seldom do we come across artists who blow our minds with their non-classic approaches. Richa Chadda has graced this not-so-long lost with her presence.

What is about this Delhi born and brought up actress that makes her stand apart from the crowd? Her choice of movies.

Her latest movie “Masaan” received a standing ovation at this year's Cannes Film Festival and bagged two awards namely, International Jury of Film Critics prize and Promising Future prize in the Un Certain Regard section.

Praises and applauses for Masaan have been flowing in from every corner of Bollywood. Here is our story that runs through her unconventional characters which explains why no one could have done justice to Devi's role but Richa Chadda.

Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye!

She debuted with what was regarded as the finest and the unluckiest movie of 2008, Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye! Abhay Deol stole the thunder on this one with his impeccable portrayal of a conman but Chadda's depiction of Dolly earned her appreciation from both critics and fans. She obviously scored amazing marks in the score sheet of Anurag Kashyap that led her to her next movie.

Gangs of Wasseypur:

How many actresses would sign up for a movie that showcased the journey of coal mafia in Bihar post independence as the wife of ace actor Manoj Bajpai? Richa Chadda.

Chadda's role as the ferocious lioness Nagma Khatoon forces one to sing an ode for her. Khatoon is a firebrand, motor-mouth lady who doesn't shy away from using the ugliest of slangs. Not only this, she is also a protective mother who accepts her husband's habit of infidelity but asks him to keep family's honour in mind.

This brings us to our next question. Which actress would like to play the role of a mother to an actor who is older to her in real life? She did it. She brilliant essayed the role of the mother to Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

And she was terrific! A widow seeking revenge, a hurt mother and a supportive mother-in-law (to Huma Qureshi, who by the way shares her birth year); Chadda gave meaning to the adjective remarkable.

She also won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for her role.

Fukrey:

She had a pivotal role in this movie where a group of four want easy money. As Bholi Punjaban, Richa Chadda wins hearts. In an interview she had said, "I love taking risks. All the gambles I've taken in the past have worked out and so, I was not at all apprehensive about accepting the role.”

And we all know how well that paid off. She blended the dialogues with her body language so well that the fearless attitude of Bholi Punjaban went on to be the one thing everyone talked about.

Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela:

Even after getting appreciation for her unique roles and choice of movies, Richa Chadda didn't mind working as a second lead in a movie. While most actresses are busy demanding more screen time, Chadda voluntarily played the role of Deepika Padukone's sister-in-law in Ram Leela.

But her role didn't go unnoticed. As Rasila, she maintained a perfect balance between rage and affection. Everything about Rasila whose husband gets killed very early in the movie, points out why you can never have enough of her on the silver screen.

Masaan:

The newest feather to her success cap is Masaan. This directorial debut of Neeraj Ghaywan, has left everyone spellbound in India after doing the same in Cannes Film Festival. Set against two powerful backdrops, Masaan promises an avalanche of emotions.

Richa Chadda plays the role of a traumatized small town girl and boy, does she do justice to it. Her performance has the power to leave one speechless, supposedly why everyone from Rajkumar Hirani to Kabir Khan, Shabana Azmi to Anurag Kashyap and from Parineeti Chopra to Dia Mirza; are in awe of it.

If you are in no mood to watch Masaan, go watch it for the exceptional actress that is Richa Chadda. The rules of the industry are being broken with actresses taking up movies which are different and roles that are unusual.

This is what we term as, “breaking the old to make way for the new!”