Understanding Rasika Dugal’s outlook towards her performances

While various actors have made their mark in the world of movies, Rasika has been paving the way in the independent film circuit for others to follow. Here’s why she is a true new-age actor of all mediums.
Rasika believes in knowing the world of the character she is about to essay. She goes out of her way to lend authenticity to her portrayal of characters.Before kicking off the shoot for a crime show, the actor shadowed a police officer in the same rank as her character. For Hamid, Dugal spent a few days in Badarkot village learning the accent. She learnt Urdu for Manto and sign language for Tu Hai Mera Sunday. Dugal thoroughly enjoys the process of workshops, prep and research for her roles and says that the joy in her work comes from learning new skills for it.
Rasika has worked with some iconic filmmakers like Mira Nair, Nandita Das, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Richie Mehta and Alankrita Shrivastava. She believes in submitting to the vision of the director, but also believes that trusting your instincts and sampling your own inputs can go a long way in the portrayal of characters.
The phenomenon of short films has caught on with filmmakers, actors, writers and viewers. Rasika thinks that pulling off these films is challenging because of the lack of the luxury of time. She believes short films need to be carefully and intelligently detailed to be able to make an impact in a short duration. She also opines that the medium is a great way to usher in fresh talent who otherwise might not have access to funds to make a longer film. Dugal has headlined films such as Chutney, The School Bag, Banana Bread and more. All her films have raked in a great number of views on video platforms.
Levelling with the new normal
After the film industry came to a standstill with the implemented lockdown, Rasika was quick to adjust to the change. The actor stepped aboard a unique venture - a short film titled, Banana Bread which she made from home during lockdown with husband Mukul Chadda. The film was directed remotely by Srinivas Sunderajan with Dugal and Chadda quadrupling on duties to make up for an entire film unit.