Rasika Duggal is one of those Bollywood actresses who has won the hearts of audiences with her outstanding acting. Her journey from the small town of Jamshedpur to the big screen is a story of hard work, dedication, and courage. Her strong characters in projects like “Mirzapur,” “Manto,” and “Delhi Crime” gave her a distinct identity. However, she faced many difficulties in the early stages of her career.
Many producers told her she wasn’t sellable, and one director even treated her unfairly. But Rasika always maintained her distance and focused on her work. Despite the worry of paying rent and facing repeated rejections, she never gave up. Rasika believes that success doesn’t mean fame, but the courage to reinvent oneself every day.
I never thought I’d become an actor, but I enjoyed whatever opportunity came my way. I never imagined I’d pursue acting as a career. I had no such example in my family; everyone was in the business field. There are some people who dream of becoming actors from childhood and then give their winning speeches while holding a shampoo bottle in the bathroom. That wasn’t the case for me.
After Anwar, I landed Anurag Kashyap’s film “No Smoking.” When I was selected, the producer called me and asked me to come and discuss the money. When I went, he asked, “How much would you like?” I mustered up some courage and said, “7500 rupees per day.” He said, “Oh, that’s too much, please reduce it a bit.” When I came home, I told my friend Deepak Dobriyal, who laughed and said, “You even asked for so much!” Then the deal was finalized, and I got 5000 rupees per day. Whereas for my first film, ‘Anwar,’ I was paid only 3,000 rupees per day.
One Must Keep Reinventing Oneself.
For me, success isn’t just about fame and name. I feel accomplished when I can truly do my work, and it brings me true joy. If I learn something new and discover something new every day, that’s success for me. I believe one should constantly reinvent oneself, because that’s where the true inspiration to move forward comes from. And that can only happen when you have the courage to take risks and embrace new experiences instead of being afraid.
Delhi Crime And Mirzapur Felt Like Blockbusters.
The turning point in my career came with Nandita Das’s film Manto. Before that, I had done notable films like “Qissa” with Irrfan Khan and Tilak Om, but “Manto” showed a new path. At that time, many directors wanted to cast me in projects, but the producers said I wasn’t sellable. Then, Nandita expressed confidence in me and cast me as Safia Manto in Manto. This was the turning point. Then came shows like Delhi Crime and Mirzapur, which introduced me to a larger audience and gave me a blockbuster feel.
The Intimate Scene Was A Necessity For The Story, Not Sensationalized.
Rasika Duggal has played strong roles in numerous films and web series throughout her acting career. In particular, her role as Beena Tripathi in the web series Mirzapur brought her national recognition. Her intimate scene in the series was also widely discussed. Regarding that scene, Rasika says, “It was necessary from the script’s perspective. It wasn’t inserted to force or sensationalize it. Writer Punit Krishna built each character very sensitively.” As for the intimate scenes, Punit, Gurmeet, and Karan briefed me on each shot before the shoot. Who would be on set, how the set would be loose, all these things were discussed beforehand, which was essential for my comfort. Now we have an intimacy coordinator, but we didn’t have one back then.
