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Celebrated Indian actress Radhika Apte has long been Netflix India’s go-to star for desi originals. On Tuesday, Netflix India marked its 10th anniversary since launching in the country on January 6, 2016. To celebrate the decade of storytelling, the subscription service’s official X account fondly remembered its long-time bestie. You guessed it. Radhika Apte. “10 years of netflix india thank you to my day 1 @radhika_apte,” the OTT fondly wrote on Elon Musk-owned social media platform.
Unsurprisingly, the post surprised a few X users unaware of Apte-Netflix’s strong association, when curious onlookers scrambled to comprehend the context behind the post, the OTT service had specifically dedicated to the Indian star.
If you happen to be on the same
boat, don’t worry, we have you covered.
The Memes
The Twitterati, as they were previously known, began trolling Netflix India after Apte’s triple appearance on OTT originals in a span of just a few months in 2018.
When you open Netflix. pic.twitter.com/PrHbsidvKM
— Mask 🎭 (@Mr_LoLwa) August 27, 2018
Netflix using Radhika Apte. pic.twitter.com/fzBSGU15vc
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) August 27, 2018
The Year Is 2018…
Netflix India became the butt of social media memes for having “too much” of Radhika Apte in its original series and movies. Akin to aaloo sprinkled in every sabzi.
Kalindi in Lust Stories, Anjali Mathur in Sacred Games, and Nida Rahim in Ghoul. Apte had become a regular fixture. However, Netflix India was secure enough as it backed the actress’s other creative projects.
“Pad Man is now streaming and we’re not just saying this because Radhika Apte is in it but yes Radhika Apte is in it,” the official X (formerly Twitter) account of Netflix India wrote.
Pad Man is now streaming and we're not just saying this because Radhika Apte is in it but yes Radhika Apte is in it.
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) August 28, 2018
Netflix India made it abundantly clear that it was obsessed with the actress. The OTT platform skillfully embraced the online trolling, took it in stride, and decided to double down on the meme.
Around August of 2018, Netflix India updated its Instagram bio, announcing that the streaming service was, in fact, Apte’s fanboy account at this point.
With all eyes on them, Netflix India knew what it was doing.
Radhika Apte Was Onboard
Folks kept trolling the streaming service over its “overuse” of the star. Netflix India kept hyping Apte with finely curated social media posts and memes. This online back-and-forth worked in tandem and benefited all parties involved.
But the Apte-Netflix association was far from done. The “duo” embraced the pan-India meme (read: harmless trolling) by going the extra mile and churning out a movie out of the entire fiasco.
“Vid calls me one day and says that Radhika what if you play every character in this film. That got my attention. Because that is a challenge I cannot turn down,” Apte said. In this satirical take, Apte played every character in the fictitious movie.
Whatever the role, Radhika apt hai. pic.twitter.com/H5vAI81qMG
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) August 27, 2018
Netflix India concocted a movie poster around this, FYI.
2020
It had been two years of dormancy when Netflix India shed spotlight back on their crush during the global pandemic.
The post, made in July 2020, was published to announce Apte’s return to Netflix India’s original movie titled Raat Akeli Hai.
Crying happy tears because Radhika Apte is going to be in a Netflix original again 😭
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) July 17, 2020
Radhika Apte On Netflix India
In case you haven’t already watched the “duo” in all its glory, you may understand the OTT’s obsession better with a Radhika Apte marathon:
Lust Stories (2018)
Sacred Games (2018)
Ghoul (2018)
Raat Akeli Hai
Monica, O My Darling (2022)
Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders (2025)
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