Radhika Madan would have had a different, more conventional Bollywood story to narrate had she not been spotted by director Vasan Bala's team for "Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota" while she was all set to audition for "Laila Majnu".
The actor went to audition for the Imtiaz Ali-backed modern day re-telling of the epic romance. But, as fate would have it, she was instead zeroed in as a feisty martial artiste in the action-comedy.
"For 'Laila Majnu', I was pretty excited because I thought I would get to be Laila in my debut film which will be shot in Kashmir. And here, there was this action film script, a genre which I've never liked. If given a chance I would go for a rom-com or any other genre film but this," Radhika told PTI.
"But something inside me knew I had to do this. I knew 'Laila Majnu' in that sense was conventional, I'd look a certain way, it'll be treated in a certain way but there was so much of uniqueness to this film, I said chuck everything I'm doing this one," she added.
"Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota" received a thunderous response in its India premiere at the 20th edition of JIO MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Friday night.
The film chronicles the story of a young man born without pain receptors who longs to defeat 100 opponents in a kumite tournament.
The warm home reception comes a month after the film bagged People's Choice Award in the Midnight Madness section at Toronto International Film Festival.
Radhika, who was nervous how the film would be received, said the response is "surreal and overwhelming."
"We were more scared for the home premiere because we didn't know whether they'll accept it or not. This is so new."
She recalled, "We were injured, had a lot of bruises but that became a part of the training."