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Radhika Apte, known for her versatility and fearless choice of roles in Hindi cinema, has spoken candidly about how obsession and control are often glamorised in films and mistaken for love. The actress recently starred in Saali Mohabbat, where she plays a complex character who kills her husband after discovering his infidelity.

While the role demands intense emotions and extreme actions, Apte stressed that such narratives should not be glorified or misinterpreted as expressions of deep or passionate love. Speaking to Hindustan Times, she clarified that the actions of her character stem from prolonged injustice and emotional abuse rather than romantic passion.

“That’s the problem. I don’t think what happens in the film comes from passionate love. It happens because of accumulated injustice and repeated mistreatment. I don’t like glorifying that as some form of intense love for a partner. This is where our perception goes wrong,” Apte said.

She further questioned the cultural tendency to label emotional suffering and sacrifice as love. “In our culture, these acts are often mistaken for love. But when you constantly compromise your happiness to please someone, that isn’t love. I don’t agree with that notion,” she added.

Highlighting how control is frequently portrayed as passion in cinema, Apte remarked, “Whether it’s a husband, the husband’s family, or even parents—expecting someone to obey without regard for their happiness is not love. True love is wanting the other person to be happy. Obedience is not love; it’s power and control. And I’m tired of it being called love or respect.”

Calling for a shift in storytelling, Apte said, “It’s awful. We should stop making films that glorify obsession and control as passion. It’s a big mistake.”

Saali Mohabbat is a drama-thriller set in a small town, revolving around a housewife whose quiet life is shattered by two unexpected deaths. Directed by Tisca Chopra, the film stars Radhika Apte in the lead role, alongside Sauraseni Maitra, Divyendu Sharma, Anshumaan Pushkar, and Anurag Kashyap.