'Female actors don't get to do much comedy'

Rasika Dugal is featuring in a new TV show which is an Indian adaptation of the Israeli television drama, Hatufim — also the inspiration of the popular television series Homeland. Directed by Nikhil Advani of Chandni Chowk to China fame, Dugal says the show is produced on a large scale and gave her an idea how big-budget productions work.

“The kind of films that I have done so far, have been on a smaller scale. Independent films don’t have much budget and Nikhil has always made films which are bigger and have a financial backing,” says Dugal who has featured in films like Qissa and Kshay.

“There is no stinginess in terms of shot taking or what an actor requires. This is such a delight and a relief for an actor. There is no constraint and it feels like I can finally breathe. I found it very easy working with Nikhil in terms of how he approaches the scenes,” she says.

Not revealing much about her role she says that it will go on air sometime in October or November. The 31-year-old actor who has also featured in popular theatre production, ‘The Vagina Monologues’ will now be seen in Nandita Das’s directorial venture Manto. She will start filming in November or December. 

“My role is of Safia Manto, who is married to Saadat Hasan Manto(Nawazuddin  Siddiqui). I have been very interested in Manto and am familiar with his stories. I have also been very interested in Urdu and have been learning it by myself. When this film came to me I was very happy about it,” shares Dugal.

“Apparently Manto was a very doting husband and that is not how I looked at Manto at all. So when Nandita came to me and I read the script, I realised there is a whole new side to Manto which is going to be explored,” she adds. Talking about her upcoming project, Dugal says, “One is a web-series with ‘The Viral Fever’, which is on a lighter note”.

According to her female actors don’t get to do much comedy in films or in television. “It is very appalling that people are not used to seeing women as having a sense of humour. I don’t know why women only get to play heavy roles, so I am very happy to be doing this. I am relieved to see such content in the web space,” she says.