'Hadn't expected Chutney to do well'

Rendezvous

Actress Rasika Dugal, who was recently seen in actress Tisca Chopra’s production, Chutney says that she “hadn’t expected the short film to do so well”.

“I knew the film was a good project but because of its genre, it was done in a limited budget and over a short period of time. Short films have not been too much in trend and that is why I was surprised by how well the film was received,” Dugal tells Metrolife.

The film, which has garnered over 17 million views, also features Adil Hussain, and talks about extra marital relationships, insecurities and infidelities.

Dugal plays the bold character of a beautiful Delhi girl who feels attracted towards Hussain (who plays the role of Chopra’s husband). Chopra plays the role of an ordinary housewife from Ghaziabad, but, as the plot of the film unfolds, comes off as a strong character who knows just what is right to do to save her marriage.

“The story of the film was very gripping for me on the script as well as on the screen. Jyoti Kapur Das (director) and Tisca had put interesting details in terms of dialogue, the setting of a neighbourhood party, two women conversing with each other, etc. In short films, there is very less time to establish a strong backdrop like this,” says Dugal.

For the 16 minutes 50 seconds film, the actress says she met fellow co-stars for a couple of weeks and read and re-read the script repeatedly. “A lot of background work and research is required to make a short film,” she says.

Dugal, who has been previously seen in films like Qissa (2015) and Kshay (2011), says that she likes to experiment with roles.

“After films like Qissa and Kshay, I think I now attract filmmakers who want to see me enacting similar characters. But I decide on a role on the basis of how I feel about the script and the co-actors,” she says.

The 31-year-old actress believes that web content, including short films and web series have helped many actors like her to gain popularity without working with a big filmmaker in Bollywood.

While Chutney has been one of the most popular films that she has been a part of, she credits her success to Qissa and Kshay.

“Even though Qissa got a terrible release, I am proud of my work in it. In a film like Kshay, I got a rare opportunity of playing a strong character. I guess that’s my idea of success.”

The actress will now be seen in the new web series by The Viral Fever called
Humorously Yours. She will also be playing a pivotal Prisoners of War, a television series directed by Nikhil Advani.

“I feel that I have been a little late in catching up with my web presence. A lot of actors like me have been in the industry for fairly long but have not been able to make a mark because we couldn’t get any mainstream Bollywood film. There have been times when we have heard ‘you’re not a known face’ and have not got the work we deserve,” she says.

“But these portals on web open new avenues for aspiring actors to progress in the industry,” adds Dugal.