With shows like ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Delhi Crime’, and ‘Adhura’, Rasika Dugal has cemented herself in showbiz giving her the title of ‘OTT queen’.
Rasika Dugal Pic/Instagram
OTT queen Rasika Dugal, who tasted success after a decade’s worth of hard work in the entertainment industry is gearing up for the screening of her film ‘Lord Curzon Ki Haveli’ which will be a part of the massive line-up at Red Lorry Film Festival curated by BookMyShow. In an exclusive interaction with mid-day.com, Rasika reveals why she agreed to do the film, her take on the streaming space and more.
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In ‘Lord Curzon Ki Haveli’, Rasika’s role as Ira is very much like the women she grew up with. The actress explains, “Ira conforms and toes the line, but always with a spirit and an endearing sense of humour. She can sometimes be misunderstood as a pushover. But you push her to the edge and find a fire that cannot be contained. I have always found that so interesting about the many women I have had the opportunity to know closely. There is a gentle kindness that coexists with quiet courage. And a spirit that cannot be quashed.
Rasika believes that the film relies heavily on performance. She agreed to get on board since it is largely set in one location, shot on a single lens and the story progresses mainly through some clever double-edged dialogue between the characters. “I felt there was room for much improvisation and craziness in a film like this, and I was excited to explore that with a bunch of talented actors,” she states.
The film also marks the directorial debut of actor Anshuman Jha. Sharing her experience working with him, Rasika says, “The workshops that Anshuman conducted for the film helped me find things about Ira that I would not have been able to arrive at by sitting by myself and reading the script. I felt he maintained a nice balance between instruction and giving us a free hand.”
Despite working in mainstream cinema, it took many years for Rasika to bag substantial roles that allowed her an opportunity to hog the limelight. With shows like ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Delhi Crime’, and ‘Adhura’, Rasika cemented herself in showbiz giving her the title of ‘OTT queen’. She goes by the formula of ‘hard work, instinct, luck, and lots of unconditional lover for work’ which is more or less the secret to her craft. The actress who is elated with the response says, “This is one label I don't mind owning with pride. I think the streaming space has changed things for me - not only in terms of the quantity of work but also in terms of giving me access to a wide audience and allowing me to showcase my versatility as a performer.”
That being said, fame has not changed Rasika’s approach to doing projects. She continues to dabble in films that may not be commercially viable. She elaborates, “My first instinct is to never judge scripts on their commercial viability. I don't even think I have an aptitude for that. That job is for marketing professionals, not for performers. I believe a well-told story that is marketed cleverly will find an audience. I don't think as storytellers we should feel the need to subscribe to formulas that have previously worked. I believe audiences are intelligent and versatile. And we should trust that.”
“Also, I think having a little bit of both kinds of projects is ideal in any actor's journey - one gives you the joy of connecting with so many people and the other keeps you connected to yourself and the reasons why you do what you do. So, whether a story that was interesting to you ends up being commercially viable or not... It's a risk worth taking,” Rasika concludes.
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