Lust Stories, Ghoul were not meant for Netflix when I shot for them: Radhika Apte

Actress Radhika Apte, who is being trolled for frequently featuring in the Indian projects of Netflix, does not think her association with the streaming platform has been long and says the three series getting released around the same time was sheer coincidence.

Apte has had three releases — Lust Stories, Sacred Games and Ghoul — this year on Netflix.

Tweeple started targeting the Phobia (2016) actress when the trailer of Ghoul, Netflix India's first horror mini-series, was unveiled in July. One user wrote, "Radhika Apte is to Netflix what Alia Bhatt is to Dharma."

Asked about her 'long association' with Netflix, Apte told the IANS news agency, "It has not really been that long. Sacred Games was the only series I knew was a Netflix original series. Lust Stories and Ghoul... when I shot [for] them were not associated with Netflix. So this is just a great coincidence.

"Not just a coincidence, it's a great opportunity that Netflix came on board and they decided to make [Ghoul] into a mini-series. I am so glad it is a mini-series and not a film because there are certain things that [director] Patrick Graham really wanted to have in the project which... it was getting difficult because it was a timebound thing because of it being a film and I am so pleased that we could add that and make it into a series."

Apte feels that for a project like Ghoul, it is better to have the streaming platform on board as it has a wide reach.

"I think it will be appreciated in other places as well as in India," she said. "I think it will have a longer life. I am really happy. These three projects coming at a time was just a coincidence."

Netflix India has also backed Apte by releasing a spoof video Omnipresent online and captioned it: "Whatever the role, Radhika apt hai."

In the video, Apte says, "Vik [Ghoul producer Vikramaditya Motwane] calls me one day and says Radhika, what if you play every character in this film. That got my attention. Because that is a challenge I cannot turn down."

The Radflix original film Omnipresent sees her playing multiple roles. She has also written, directed and scored the music for the movie.

Netflix India posted another tweet. It read, "Pad Man is now streaming and we are not just saying this because Radhika Apte is in it, but yes, Radhika Apte is in it."