Rasika in touch with Saadat Hasan Manto’s daughter even after the film’s shoot ends

I have been in touch with Nuzhat Apa, who generously allowed us to get a glimpse into her childhood RASIKA DUGAL, ACTOR

Actor Rasika Dugal will next be seen in Nandita Das’s Manto, where she plays Safia, wife of writer Saadat Hasan Manto, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

The actor has gone to great lengths to make her portrayal of the character accurate, which included getting in touch with all Manto’s three daughters to know about their parents in detail.

The 32-year-old feels that interacting with them was better than just trying to get information from books. It turned out to be a fruitful exercise, as they shared many anecdotes from their childhood.

Rasika is still in touch with Nuzhat Manto, the late author’s second daughter, even after the shooting of the film is over, because she feels that she now shares a special bond with them.

When contacted, Rasika said, “I have been in touch with Nuzhat Apa, who was incredibly warm to me and generously allowed us to get a glimpse of her childhood. Nandita had spent time with all three daughters and Safia’s sister (Zakia) at the and had incorporated a lot of what she heard from them into the story.”

The actor is now working on her next film, Hamid, which is set in Kashmir, and is about the relationship between a widowed mother and her son.

PHOTO: AALOK SONI/HT