Rasika Dugal has worked on projects in various genres and platforms. The actor, who has been productive in movies and online shows, recently appeared in a short film. The Miniaturist of Junagadh short film saw her sharing screen space with her mentor Naseeruddin Shah. In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Rasika talks about the experience, because she cried once all night after seeing herself on screen and the manic madness surrounding her popular online series Mirzapur. Read also: Rasika Dugal: I found it surreal to travel abroad after two years
Junagadh Miniature, directed by Kaushal Oza, is a short film set around the Partition. Speaking about the challenges of working on a short film as opposed to larger characters, Rasika says: “The shorter the format, the harder it is for the actor because we only have so much time to complete your story and to complete your interpretation. You can not escape the lack of details in a short film. It kind of sharpens you “.
Her work also allowed her to collaborate with Naseeruddin Shah, who was her mentor in the world of acting. Working with him after so many years was a dream come true, says Rasika. “Everything I know about acting today is because of Naseer sahab. So I know that here is a co-star who is actually the creator of the process I follow. This comes with its own nervousness. When you work with your guru, you always feel like it’s going to be your best performance ever. “Because I can not offend what he has taught me,” he shares. The film was recently released on the Royal Stag Barrel Select Large short film platform.
Between The Miniaturist of Junagadh and her other works such as Qissa, Manto and A Suitable Boy, Rasika is often found in stories set in the 1940s and 50s in India. He laughs as he says: “This is a time when I feel comfortable. I think I belong more to that time than I do now and people feel that. The rhythm of life at that time suits my nature better than the rhythm of life today. I often find myself separated and lost today. I’m really attracted to this season. I do not know what the connection is, maybe something we do not understand “.
But while others often praise her work, Rasika admits that she is the biggest critic of herself. “Sometimes I feel like I’ve made junk and then when I see it, I feel ‘not bad,'” he says with a laugh. The actress says that over the years she has learned to like her job. She cites Qissa, Delhi Crime and Manto as the projects she is most proud of. “These are the things I tell people to watch,” he says.
She may be proud of her role in Qissa now, but when the film was released in 2013, Rasika was not so sure about her performance. He shares a hilarious joke, “The first time I watched Qissa, I could not sleep all night. I was crying and I thought I had done the worst job in my life and that was such an important role and I will never go to work again. And Tillotama Shome, my teammate, who had a tougher and bigger role than me, sat with me all night and comforted me. I was young then and did not have the experience to attend my own job. Now, I know how to handle it. “Now I know, for the first time, I see something, everything is bad.” Read also: Rasika Dugal: I do not know who my competitors are. It somewhat relieves me of the weight of the competitive spirit
While she was recognized with works such as Manto and Delhi Crime, Rasika became popular with the Amazon Prime Video Mirzapur series. In the popular show, she plays Beena Tripathi, wife of Kaleen Bhaiya of Pankaj Tripathi. Fans call her Beena bhabhi (sister-in-law) even off screen, something that entertains her endlessly. Rasiks says, “I’m still amazed at the popularity of Mirzapur so many times. It has a manic and dedicated audience. The admiration and attention that Mirzapur receives is something that confuses me in a good way. A specific incident does not come to my mind, but I am very surprised when someone meets me and calls me Beena bhabhi as if they have always known her. “They feel like they have lived with you, which is a great validation for an actor.”
Rasika will be seen later in another Amazon series, Adhura, which also stars Ishwak Singh. The supernatural thriller takes place in an elite boarding school, which hides a secret. It is scheduled to be released later in 2022.
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