EXCLUSIVE | 'Mirzapur' actress Rasika Dugal: 'We are chasing talent that has larger number of Instagram followers and...'

Rasika Dugal is one of the finest actresses we have in the country today. She is known for her fiery performances in Lootcase, Mirzapur, and will be soon teaming up with Shefali Shah in Netflix’s season three of Delhi Crime. The actress has a new film coming up, which will be releasing in Cinemas tomorrow, titled Lord Curzon Ki Haveli.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Rasika Dugal spoke about how women’s characters in cinema have evolved and changed, the challenges of the streaming platforms, and much more.

Edited excerpts from the interview

What is the one common factor between you and the character that you play in the film?

That both of us giggle for no reason (laughs).

Both Mirzapur and Lootcase had their own shades and share of humour. What’s the kind of humour you are preparing us for in Lord Curzon Ki Haveli?

A very dark sense of humor. It all starts really well. It’s all very slice of life. It’s like any other day or dinner, where two couples are meeting each other for the first time. And then slowly, things start going into very dark spaces, which is very fun to watch.

What do you have to say about the way characters are written for women in today’s times? Has there been a gradual shift or change?

You are right. We have evolved. Right from the time that I have been working, I have felt that there has been a distinctive change. But it is still not enough to be honest. There is much room for improvement in that department. I have said this earlier that I always wanted to do more comedies. A black comedy is definitely a step in that direction. And I really hope that this is something that changes.

Which is the actress whose comedy you are a fan of?

Sridevi. I totally loved her comic timing. I thought she was excellent. There’s a very Chaplinesque sequence in Mr. India which is so beautifully done. She had those twitches in a certain way; Hawa Hawai is one of my favourite songs. It is so nice to have that physicality in your performance.

Today we are in the day and age of social media. There have been so many suspense thrillers whose twist was leaked on social media. Are you afraid the same could happen with this film as well?

I am very confident about the fact that this is not that kind of a film, which is only about the suspense. It is not just about one thing. It is not only about what happened, but how it happened. That way I have no worries about that. I give a lot of spoilers, and that is the reason why my friends don’t hang around with me. Especially during the time of Mirzapur, I have given major spoilers to my friends and family, and they have hated me for it.

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the industry right now about what will work at the box office? What are the challenges and restrictions about the streaming platforms?

Clutter, no thought to subsequent seasons before hand, and chasing Talent that has larger number of Instagram followers.