Bollywood is full of actors and actresses who are looking for their big break – that one movie which will make them an overnight hit with the crowds and will, in turn, bring producers and directors to their door step. Nandita Das’s Manto was that big break for Rasika Dugal.
Rasika plays Saadat Hasan Manto’s silent yet strong wife, Safiya and suffice it to say that she absolutely delivers. Although she’s worked in multiple Indian soap operas and has been a regular in the Bollywood circuit since 2007, the 33-year old actor has only recently caught the attention of movie makers.
Having debuted in the Bollywood movie Tahaan in 2008, Rasika has also been a part of movies like Anwar, No Smoking, Hijack, Agyaat, Aurangzeb and Once Again. She finally got the opportunity to showcase her acting skills properly in the movies Kshay and Qissa In fact, she was recognized for her role in the film Hamid and was awarded the Best Actor Award at the Rajasthan International Film Festival. Dugal has also been a part of the world of web series.
She did a cameo in TVF’s Permanent Roommates’ second season. More recently, she was seen in Zoya Akhtar’s Made in Heaven as Nutan Yadav, an ambitious politician’s daughter who was drugged so her father could realize his political dreams. She’s currently a part of a Netflix Original series, Delhi Crime. She was last seen in Humorously Yours 2.
Whether it’s playing a mother who would gladly do anything to make her son happy in Dheeraj Jindals’ The School Bag, or the abandoned wife and single mother in Tu Hain Mera Sunday, Rasika has essayed all her characters with an overpowering conviction.
Recognition and stardom didn’t come to Rasika as easily as to some of the other actors. However, the way she has brought countless characters to life has convinced us that it is her time to shine on the big screen.
