Ritika Singh was a trailblazing mixed martial artist who had competed at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games and Super Fight League prior to making her acting debut with Sudha Kongara Prasad’s directorial Irudhi Suttru or Saala Khadoos with R Madhavan. Not only did she win several accolades like Filmfare and National Award but also went on to become a prominent name in the Tamil and Telugu film industry. Now, the actress is all geared up to put her acting skills to the test with an upcoming nail-biting thriller, InCar.
In an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Ritika Singh reconstructed her role in the film and shared some insightful self-defense tips for women. As one can ascertain from the trailer of the film, InCar will tell a survival story of a young woman named Sakshi who gets nabbed by three lascivious men in Haryana following which she has to fend for herself in a bid to stay alive. As the majority of the film was shot inside a moving car, when asked if the role was traumatizing and triggering for her in addition to being challenging, Ritika answered, “For me, honestly the whole experience has been like that. Starting from the rehearsals to the look test of the character and to the end of the film. Because we shot the entire film chronologically and we shot it non-stop. So the director did not want us to take any breaks in between because he didn’t want that flow to break. Because it’s a one-day story. The girl is kidnapped in the evening and the film ends at night or during twilight. Thus, the continuity was extremely important.”
She further shared, “So I had to carry continuity in not just in my costume, hair and makeup but the whole look. I had to be in my emotions. If that breaks, then the audience will be able to tell that this is a fresh shot. It was extremely difficult. Essentially, in every project for me, it takes two to three days to sink into the character and get to know the crew. But on this project, it was not only about sinking in but I actually started feeling what the character was going through in the film. Slowly, the lines between reality and movie started getting blurred and it started getting too real for me as a person. There were times when I was supposed to portray a certain emotion like disgust or anxiety and fear. And suddenly when the director used to call it a cut, I would start crying so I had to get out of the car and had to be alone for a bit to gain composure. Because there were so many emotions I used to develop throughout the filming process. Because these characters in the film, they are constantly hurling abuses at me, saying terrible and extremely scary things. After a certain point of time, it just got really difficult for me.”
Speaking about her rapport with her co-actors, Ritika recalled, “They are actually a very fun bunch. I think Manish who plays one of the main characters is debuting in this film. And to see him perform with that kind of confidence is commendable. His character is the craziest. Among everyone, he is the most unexpected and unbelievable kind of a guy. And he was so sweet and innocent. Everybody was so nice and warm, we actually became really good friends. It was very difficult to get to a point where you are all hating each other and saying all these things to each other. But it was a very nice bunch.”
InCar is an unconventional film for the actress who has not previously tackled a gritty or intense subject or genre like this. Emphasizing the core reason behind becoming a part of it, Ritika Singh shared, “Surprisingly, I didn’t feel apprehensive about the whole role. Usually it happens that you have certain inhibitions about a certain role or film. On the contrary, I was excited and sure that I wanted to do this. I always wanted to do films that challenge me and bring out a side of me that even I am not aware of. Because I didn’t start out in my life to become an actor. I had zero connection with the industry. And all this happened after Saala Khadoos. And I just fell in love with the art of acting. I just want to continue to explore all these different sides and emotions I have in me because I am a very emotional person. I don’t look like it but my emotions are always on a hundred. So I am more than willing to explorer that side. With the script, I knew this would be quite off and it’s not something that people usually like to watch.”
Ritika continued, “I think I met Harsh Wardhan in 2017-2018. I thought it was very necessary to tell the story of this film back then as well as in the present time. Because how women get treated on a regular basis remains and will remain a pertinent topic.”
With InCar being a women-centric film and a directorial debut for Harsh Wardhan, Ritika Singh revealed if she had given any inputs to the director and about certain traits that the film-maker had asked from her to be fit in that role. She said, “There were times when there were certain dialogues for which I had to go to him and give him feedback. And he would take it in a positive way as well. And he used to always give me that freedom to come and tell me these things. He had told me very openly that Ritika you are a woman and you know these things better than any of us. If you feel anything is off and if you feel like telling me anything, please come and do so. And when I read his script for the first time, it was so on point that I didn’t feel like anything needed to be changed. Everything was perfect as it is. But he did give me the freedom to suggest things which are rare with other film-makers. And when it came to performance, he didn’t used to tell me anything. He would just ensure that if I was alright. Everything was very spontaneous.”
Ritika Singh also fervently agrees that self-defense classes should be made mandatory for women across schools and colleges. She explained, “100% it should happen. I have been doing Karate since I was three. My dad was my guru. My brother does the same thing. I have been doing it since school and I have continued it to this day. I always say that it should be made part of the school curriculum. One could easily dedicate a class on this once every two weeks or a workshop every month. Because more than learning self-defense, it is more about what you feel about yourself in your mind. Because during an impending situation, one couldn’t recall what they learnt. There is a sense of panic and that’s when your muscle memory comes into play. How much your body is trained for an unfortunate situation is determined. Because even the most sorted person will panic so presence of mind is equally important as to what you can observe in your immediate surroundings.”
She also added, “I’ll say this very honestly but even when I was doing the film, I knew I was acting but despite being a martial artist, I was so scared. If you notice my expressions in the trailer, I am shivering and panicking. But even as I recall the shooting bit for InCar, I am getting goosebumps. Because no matter how well-trained you are, when a situation like this arises, it is all how you trained your mind and body.”
On being asked what tips she would impart to women who find themselves in such situations and what should be their course of action, Ritika answered, “if you notice my character in the trailer, she is constantly screaming for Help! That is one of the biggest weapons in situations like this is our voice. Because we can capture people’s attention with that and alert them about something wrong that is taking place in their midst. Secondly, my character retaliates by hitting with a torch and then she runs away. So in these situations, irrespective of being well-trained, a man has an upper-hand and he will definitely be much stronger than a woman. Yes, sometimes one might get that superwoman strength but the wisest thing is to run. Injure them a bit and run because there is no point in fighting. And I say this after being a martial artist.”
Ritika Singh also responded to a question whether InCar would usher an impact in the domain of women’s safety. She stated, “I get numb when I think about it but I think we have a long road ahead of ourselves before we are able to fully achieve that. It is going to take years. Small boys and girls need to be taught about respect and consent. So these are some values that should be imparted right from childhood. They should be taught about good touch and bad touch. To be vocal if you are uncomfortable about anything. And all this takes place in households because kids are very perceptive, they observe relationship between their parents and how they treat each other. So with a film like InCar which might not have many plot twists and turns or parallel storylines. It’s a simple story where the makers have tried to convey that the girl who is kidnapped, what goes through her psyche and how the girl is subdued to the point where even the hope to survive leaves from her eyes. So I am sure a story like that would leave an impact on the audience. People who watch it will understand. And I really hope this film reaches the right audience and it is able to spread awareness in the right way.”
Ritika Singh would also be headlining King Of Kotha alongside Dulquer Salmaan. Sharing her experience working with the actor, Ritika said,
“It was amazing. I’ve always wanted to work with him. He has been one of my favourite actors. And I’ve always looked up to him. He is so humble and he talks so nicely. And even when I met him, it was the same. And I had one of the best experiences working with him. Looking forward to how it has come out.”
InCar will be releasing worldwide on March 3 in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.
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