One of Bollywood‘s most critically acclaimed artists, Radhika Apte, found herself amid a raging controversy as #boycottRadhikaApte became one of the top Twitter trends on Friday. The trend emerged after some of the intimate scenes from Radhika’s ‘Parched’ went viral on social media.

Parched, a movie that talks about gender roles and discrimination through the lives of three women set in a remote village of Gujarat. The movie carries some scenes where Radhika, who plays the role of a woman who is not able to conceive, having sex with a person who is said to possess some powers. The scene was shot with Adil Hussain. 

Also Read: ‘Don’t believe in institution of marriage, but…’: Actor Radhika Apte reveals why she got married

Ever since the pictures went viral on social media, Twitter is unhappy with the movie and calling such scenes something against the Indian culture. 

Here are some reactions. 

This intimate scene from Parched had given rise to a controversy earlier as well when Radhika’s pictures were leaked on social media.

Addressing the controversy, Radhika once said, “It wasn’t easy because I was contending with my own body image issues at the time. So, having to be nude on screen was a little intimidating. Now I can bear it all anywhere. I’m proud of my body shape and size. I really needed a role like this because when you’re in Bollywood you’re constantly told what to do with your body and I always maintained that I would never do anything to my body or face.”

Directed by Leena Yadav, Parched is an Indian art movie featuring celebrated ladies of Bollywood Tannishtha Chatterjee (Rani), Radhika Apte (Lajjo) and Surveen Chawla (Bijli). The story revolves around the life of 3 women in a village of Rajasthan with their own sets of life problems aggravated by the patriarchal status-quo of the society they live in.

Rani is a widow, who looks after her mother-in-law and alcoholic son and helps her daughter-in-law escape her toxic marriage by taking a stand against her own son. Lajjo on the other escapes the constant abuse and torture for not being able to conceive, for which his husband is responsible. 

Bijli is a bold sex worker who was always dejected by men in life and never got the love she deserves. Frustrated with all the hypocrisy all three women leave the village to live a free life.