Rasika Duggal never fails to surprise. It is therefore no surprise when she candidly admitted that Mirzapur has changed her life. “I think it’s made me very aware of the fact that we have many different sides to ourselves and often, in life, we learn to or allow ourselves to showcase only some of them. I love being Beena Tripathi. Through her, I learn to unapologetically and unabashedly be myself. In terms of accessing a wide audience and a really loyal one, most definitely. Every time I interact with Mirzapur fans, the love is palpable. The manic following of the show is so heart-warming. The memes, the fan theories and the ask for subsequent seasons; it is all so much fun to be a part of,” she said.
Rasika Dugal on returning to Mirzapur in Season 3, “The manic following of the show is so heart-warming”
Rasika is pleased with her journey as an actor so far. “In one sense, one could always have more and, sometimes, maybe it is also important to feel like that way to stay driven and motivated. But honestly, I feel I am fortunate to have had a very interesting variety of quality work. It is rare and difficult to find that combination of variety and quality. Every actor’s journey is unique. It would be, in my opinion, boring to try and fit your career to a template. It is far more challenging to carve your own path. I think I am on a very different and interesting one.
She added, “Before the streaming space came about, I had done a few films which I was really proud of as a performer, but limited distribution only allowed them to reach a niche audience. The work I did in the streaming space was viewed widely and, therefore, changed things for me. Also, the space encouraged newness-in terms of genres and story ideas as well as working with new talent (actors, directors, writers). I feel in the last year or two, the space has become cluttered but as long as there is room for all kinds of storytelling, I would consider it a healthy space.”
“For a while, the streaming space was also the answer for Indie films to get out of the distribution bottlenecks that they would find themselves in,” added Rasika. “A smaller film that finds it difficult to get a theatrical release would invariably find a home on a streaming service. But unfortunately, most indie films, for a bunch of reasons, now find it difficult to get picked up by a platform. That has been disappointing.”
Rasika loves being on the sets of Mirzapur again. “Mirzapur is a set full of the most interesting and talented actors. Many of us started our careers around the same time and have worked with each other on different projects before and after Mirzapur. For instance, Pankaj and I had worked on a beautiful show called Powder almost ten years before we started filming for Mirzapur. Divyendu and I were batchmates as acting students at FTII (Film and Television Institute of India). It is so inspiring to watch them do the work they do – never comprising on their integrity as performers and only growing with every project.”
She added, “It is so encouraging to see each one’s own journey and be a tiny part of it. My co-actors in Mirzapur are a source of inspiration. It’s so comfortable going to a familiar set. You know your creative collaborators, where you align and where you might have to work towards finding common ground. With a new set and new collaborators, these things can take time to work through.”
“With Mirzapur, since all of this is already in place, you get a to utilise that time to work on enriching the part you are playing with more details and intricacies,” added Rasika. “Subsequent seasons are a delight in that sense. The basic character work is done and now you get to build on a well laid foundation. You can play with it- follow the path you have set or completely turn it on its head too! When I wear Beena’s signature red bindi and enter the Tripathi house, all of it comes back to me!”
Rasika’s character in Mirzapur has a lot happening to her which seems highly unorthodox. “There was a lot of excitement in playing a part that is so different from me and from what I have been offered before,” she said. “And trying to understand how a person like Beena is wired was the kind of challenge I was looking for as a performer. Beena is everything I am not. She wears her sexuality on her sleeve, is unapologetic about the way she is and knows how to play the people around her (especially the men) to get what she wants. Getting an opportunity to be Beena Tripathi gave me a chance to explore and showcase versatility. I feel very lucky to have had that opportunity in a script like Mirzapur which has the rare combination of spunk and depth.”
Rasika has a lot coming up in her career. “In the series space, I start filming for Delhi Crime Season 3 very soon – it is a project and character very close to my heart. I have finished work on two new shows – Shekhar Home with Kay Kay Menon and Ranvir Shorey and a yet untitled series with Applause, directed by Rohan Sippy. In films, there is a black comedy thriller Lord Curzon Ki Haveli in which I have acted alongside Arjun Mathur and a dramedy Little Thomas with Gulshan Devaiah. And a more commercial film which I am not allowed to speak about yet,” said the actress.
Also Read: Rasika Dugal stuns in Rs 2,27,999 Archana Jaju saree for Mirzapur Season 3 promotions
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