Rasika Duggal: 'Mirzapur Has Changed The Scale At Which My Work Was Being Seen'

‘Morally ambiguous characters are most interesting to play.’

Photograph: Kind courtesy Rasika Dugal/Instagram

Key Points

‘Morally ambiguous characters urge you to understand a mind that you probably don’t recognise at first glance and one that you definitely cannot decode intellectually.’
‘It pushes you to practice being vulnerable and open, as well as being affected by the darkness or lightness of a moment, rather than judging it from a lens of morality.’
‘I live with what I have grown to understand as a healthy dissatisfaction.’

Rasika Dugal is one of the biggest surprises of Mirzapur: The Movie.

Like our review says, ‘Dugal gets considerably more weight in the film, and it pays off handsomely. In fact, she gets some of the film’s strongest moments, especially towards the climax, where she almost walks away with the film.’

Rasika looks back at the film, and tells Subhash K Jha, “There was the joy of going back to the familiarity and warmth of a set, which now feels like family — or, as we say in Mirzapur, ‘phamily‘ — and also the challenge of going back to being the Beena of Season 1.”

Mirzapur: The Movie is your first big screen blockbuster. Time for a celebration?

Absolutely! We are delighted that fans of the show have showed up in the theatres and how! I am grateful.

You are back as the sorted bahu of the Tripathi family. How did it feel entering the familiar yet untrodden world?

A mixed bag. There was the joy of going back to the familiarity and warmth of a set, which now feels like family — or, as we say in Mirzapur, ‘phamily‘ — and also the challenge of going back to being the Beena of Season 1.

‘Morally ambiguous characters are most interesting to play’

IMAGE: Rasika with her onscreen husband Pankaj Tripathi and Director Gurmmeet Singh on the sets of Mirzapur. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rasika Dugal/Instagram

What sets Beena apart is her sexual frankness. Was it tough for you to lose your inhibitions?

If the script provides context, it’s never difficult. And this script did more than that. It gave Beena a very rich backstory to work with.

Would you say this is your most celebrated character to date?

Definitely! It has helped me reach a wide audience and the most opportunity to explore my versatility.

Fortunately, there is a lot of love for the characters I play in Delhi Crime and Out of Love. When I meet people, they’ve watched at least two of these three shows. It makes me happy that I’ve had the opportunity to show them different sides of myself. That’s what you crave for as an actor.

And to have two long-standing shows in which I play different roles has been very rewarding.

As an actor with a heightened conscientiousness, how careful are you about the moral correctness of your choices?

Morally ambiguous characters are most interesting to play. It urges you to understand a mind that you probably don’t recognise at first glance and one that you definitely cannot decode intellectually.

It pushes you to practice being vulnerable and open, as well as being affected by the darkness or lightness of a moment, rather than judging it from a lens of morality.

‘Mirzapur has changed the scale at which my work was being seen’

IMAGE: Rasika with her onscreen husband Pankaj Tripathi and onscreen father-in-law Kulbhushan Kharbanda on the sets of Mirzapur. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rasika Dugal/Instagram

Which among your roles so far do you consider to be the gamechangers?

It has to be Beena Tripathi in Mirzapur. The loyal fan base of Mirzapur has made so many characters and dialogues from the show iconic. It feels wonderful to be a part of pop culture. Mirzapur has changed the scale at which my work was being seen.

Are you happy with the roles coming your way?

I think I live with what I have grown to understand as a healthy dissatisfaction. I think that’s a constant state of being for many actors and I don’t think it’s undesirable.

It means you are yearning for more than what you have. That, in my opinion, is a healthy sign of wanting to learn and grow. So yes, I have lots on my plate and lots more that I desire.

‘Exploring comedy has been on the list for a while’

IMAGE: Rasika with Ali Fazal on the sets of Mirzapur. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rasika Dugal/Instagram

How would you like your career to shape up from this point onwards?

To have roles that drive the narrative and roles that challenge me physically.

I love working with accents, so something that demands that of me.

Also, exploring comedy has been on the list for a while. We need some good comedic material for women. Those are rare to come by.

Forthcoming projects?

Unfortunately, none that I can speak of right now. But I am super excited about one that I am going to start shooting for very soon. It’s a new genre for me and one that I have been dying to do.