“You can’t follow a trajectory. You have to follow your own path — and that can be lonely and frightening," says actor Rasika Dugal as she speaks to The Quint in the next episode of Tell Me All.
From the loneliness of the early years to the joy of finding her soulmate in acting, the actor opens up about why she thought of giving up acting, how she and husband Mukul Chadda hold space for each other, a scene with Irrfan Khan that felt like a 'dud', and while performance is finally being valued today — funding is still a challenge. She also reflects on losing roles earlier in her career because producers didn't she her as 'sellable', and more.
The Delhi Crime actor spoke about an actor's journey being lonely and frightening. "You can't look at another actor's journey and say you want to do the same - it is not possible. Which film of yours will release when, what you'll be offered, and how your performance turn out, you don't know."
You can't follow a trajectory; you have to follow your own path — and that can be lonely and frightening. I guess that’s the price you pay for doing something different — that it can be lonely.Rasika Dugal, Actor
Earlier in her career, the actor had lost out on five projects because the producers didn't view her as "sellable".
When asked if that perception has changed today, she said, "I might have two meetings in a day - one where someone thinks I am 'selleable' because of Mirzapur , which is popular, and another where someone thinks I have a market in series but not in films. Every project that comes to you feels like a stroke of luck, but of course behind that is years of experience."
In an industry where “perception is important, and it decides careers,” Rasika reflects on the ongoing challenges, "It was foolish to think it gets easier, it never does. In fact, in one way at least, mentally it may be more challenging, because you feel like you have a lot more to lose."
I wish somebody had told me when I was starting out that what I am doing "in my struggling days" - it never gets easier.Rasika Dugal, Actor
While Rasika believes audiences are shifting the conversation by valuing performances — which in turn is prompting the industry to acknowledge actors more — she points out that the biggest challenge still plaguing the industry is funding.
She recalls a film she had fully prepared for that never took off, “An indie film I was supposed to start... I did all the prep. But with an indie film, I know it’s not easy to get out of it.”
When streaming platforms rose in popularity, she hoped they could be a space 'where indie films can find a home'. "Maybe you couldn’t do a theatrical release, but people could watch the film if the word of mouth was good. But now that’s also crowded and algorithm-driven. Wherever the money comes in, this happens.”
In the series space — where she’s being offered varied and exciting work — funding remains a major roadblock.
It’s not like every series is getting funding. I did a series a year and a half ago — made by a studio — and it’s still not out. I thought that wouldn’t be a problem.Rasika Dugal, Actor
Rasika also spoke about her marriage to actor Mukul Chadda being a "space of respect", and spoke about how they hold space for each other despite their busy schedules.
"It sounds very sorted - I don't want to give a wrong impression on what everyday life in a marriage looks like. It's constantly navigating which side of the person you will find that day. It's not always as easy as it might sound, but It's fun and interesting. I don't know how we do It - I enjoy working through it. Sometime it's not easy, but mostly it's been fun."
Watch the full interview for more.
Location courtsey: Mercii, Mumbai