Regina Cassandra Says Radhika Apte, Janhvi Kapoor Remarks Could Widen North-South Divide

Regina Cassandra has criticised Radhika Apte and Janhvi Kapoor over their recent comments about South Indian cinema, saying the remarks could widen a North-South divide in the film industry. Her remarks to India Today were reported on 5 November 2026.

Regina, who played Akshay Kumar’s on-screen wife in Kesari Chapter 2, also said she had been left out of that film’s promotions. The remarks she responded to concern Telugu films, which both actresses discussed in earlier interviews.

What Apte and Kapoor Said About South Films

Apte spoke during promotions for Akka, the Netflix series co-starring Keerthy Suresh, in an interview with Zoom. She described a Telugu film in which she had to marry her maternal uncle on screen, and called the setting a very patriarchal situation and place. She did not name the film.

According to The South First, social media users speculated that she was referring to Boyapati Srinu’s Legend (2014), which starred Nandamuri Balakrishna. The same report says Balakrishna was 54 and Apte 29 when the film was released. Apte has not named the film or her co-star.

The South First reports that in a separate News18 interview, Apte said North Indian actresses were often cast in South Indian films for being fair-skinned, and she found this appalling.

Kapoor spoke on Koffee With Karan season 9 about the sexualisation of her character in Peddi. ThePrint names Peddi as her film and says both actresses discussed working in Telugu films. Kapoor said she should have pushed back more firmly during filming and did not always know how scenes would be shot. Outlook reports that she said scripts in the South are rarely fixed in advance.

Regina Cassandra’s Reply

Regina told India Today that an actress who feels uncomfortable in a film can walk out of it, and that her comments were not against men or women. Outlook reports that she said Kapoor and Apte are in a position to walk out, especially given who they are. Deccan Chronicle reports that she said actors know the story, their character and the film’s theme before signing, so it would be unfair to say they had no choice once they joined.

She said a North Indian actor who talks about South cinema in this way creates a North-South divide without realising it, which she called absolutely wrong. ThePrint reports that she also said she faces stigma in the North as a South Indian actress.

On working conditions, The South First reports that Regina said Hindi and South productions differ in script and call-sheet practices. Deccan Chronicle reports that Hindi productions generally follow strict call sheets and schedules, while South Indian shoots can be more flexible, with some scenes worked out on the day of the shoot.

Her broader point was that individual experiences should be addressed one at a time, not used to paint an entire industry in a negative light. Regina also said the situation is not limited to South cinema. Citing her own experience in Kesari Chapter 2, she said actors can face uncomfortable situations in Bollywood too.

Her broader point was that individual experiences should be addressed one at a time, not used to paint an entire industry in a negative light.

The Kesari Chapter 2 Promotions

Regina played Parvathy Nair, Akshay Kumar’s on-screen wife, in Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, a 2025 Dharma Productions film, according to The South First. She said the studio left her out of promotional activities and song credits. Outlook reports that Dharma shared the film’s song on Instagram with her in it from start to finish, but did not tag her.

Regina set the exclusion alongside Kapoor’s remarks. Outlook reports that she said Kapoor spoke about being objectified on Karan Johar’s show, and that Karan’s Dharma Productions did not promote her in the film.

The South First and ThePrint both report that she was not given an explanation for being left out. Outlook reports she still does not know why, and called it very strange. ThePrint reports that she asked whether the treatment was linked to her being South Indian.