For me content matters, not the medium: Rasika

Actor Rasika Duggal (right) is enjoying the web world after doing a string of short films, long-short films and web series. Having acted on different platforms the actor says, “I have never been choosy about medium but am particular about the work I do. What matters for me the most is the content and my roles in it. Also, every medium gives a different kind of experience and learning.”

The actor was recently in Lucknow for a panel discussion on short films ahead of the release of her long-short ‘The School Bag’.

“I did a 14-minute film Chutney (with Tisca Chopra and Adil Hussain) last year and to my surprise it has got over 85 million views. My body of work is not so huge to get so much audience on any medium but my web short film attracted huge number of viewers. I hope this medium gets a business model so that they make money and more such good films are made,” says the actor who has done TV shows like POW-Bandi Yudh Ke, Dariba Diaries, Power and Kismat to name a few. Earlier this year, she shot a short film ‘Life Support’ with director Sudhir Mishra in Lucknow which also starred Rahul Bhatt and Vipin Sharma. “These days, a lot of short films are happening and the good thing is that people, especially youngster, are watching it. To my surprise, I am recognized for my ‘Humorously Yours’ web-series more than my films and TV shows. Shorts gave me an opportunity to work with Sudhir sir who was on my wishlist of directors,” says the actor.

Throwing light on upcoming long-shot she says, “Delhibased film maker Dheeraj Jindal has made ‘The School Bag’. It’s a story of a mother and son and we are the only two characters in the film. It has already gone in 35 film festivals and in two of them I won the best actress award.” Rasika has also done a short ‘So Basically….This Is An Actor’s Life’ in which she plays 11 roles in 7 minutes.

Her next feature film is a biopic on Saadat Hasan Manto that stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and is being directed by Nandita Dass. “I play his wife Satya Manto for which I have done a lot of preparation. I have done a lot of homework for the film — read his literature and interacted with Satya’s family to get into the skin of the character,” she says. On her second visit to the city this year she goes down the memory lane. “I have lived here for a few months in 2004. It was for a project with two ace professors. We were trying to collect indicators between corruption and election and mine role was to do the research work.

Then the state was headed by BSP govt and since then Lucknow has changed immensely. The city has good vibes, history, great food and moving around on its street is so much fun. I wish to come here again for some days and spend some time exploring the city,” she says on a signing off note.

DHEERAJ DHWAN/HT