Rasika turns guru for young co-actor on her film’s set

Actor Rasika Dugal received a lot of praise from audiences and critics alike when she was last seen in the film Manto, based on the controversial author’s life. While she played the role of Manto’s wife, not many know that the actor has a fondness for reading and loves to keep herself aware of current affairs.

She was recently in Kashmir to shoot for her next film, which has her playing the role of a mother. Set in the valley, the film is a heartwarming tale of a halfwidow (a woman whose husband has disappeared but has not been declared dead) and her young child.

Apart from acing her role as a mother on screen, she even turned into a teacher for her young co-actor, Talha Arshad Reshi, who plays her son in the film.

“Since Talha was missing his studies due to continuous shooting schedule, he carried his school curriculum to the sets. Rasika tutored him and ensured that he wouldn’t miss out on his studies. Also, it was Talha’s first film, so, Rasika being a trained actor gave him some acting tips,” informs a source.

Asked about the experience, Rasika shares that she had met Talha for the first time two days before they started shooting, whereas in the film, they needed to look like they had spent years together. “So, we spent a lot of time with each other in between shots. Talha is a very interesting child — surprisingly very mature,” says Rasika, adding how Talha was “very interested” in her life as a working actor.

“I would help him out with his homework and he’d help me with the Kashmiri accent. Sometimes, I would see him smile in the middle of the shot when I got the pronunciation of a word I had been struggling with right. I enjoyed spending time with him,” she adds.

Rasika Dugal plays the role of a mother in her next film