When you are just trying to find your ground in the film industry, you take up any and every role that comes your way, says actor Rasika Dugal, who remembers being advised not to play smaller parts in her early years.
The Jamshedpur-born actor, who made her feature film debut with 2007's "Anwar", is one of the most recognisable faces in the streaming space today thanks to web series such as "Mirzapur", "Delhi Crime", and "Out of Love".
Dugal, a postgraduate from Pune's Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), said it took her time, but she charted her own path.
"When I came to Bombay, I wouldn't say I had one particular kind of role in mind because you can't come with a set idea, especially because you are just starting out. I pretty much did whatever came my way. At that time, I was advised not to do small roles, do only big parts.
"But I said, 'Listen, I don't know how else to introduce myself to people, except through my work. So if I'm getting smaller parts in the beginning of my career, I'll take them. Thanks for the advice, but I'll make this my own journey. I'll play it my own way.' So that's what I did. I got bigger parts after that, it took some time but it happened," the actor told PTI in an interview.
Dugal, also known for films such as "Manto", "Hamid", "Tu Hai Mera Sunday", and "Lootcase", credited OTT platforms for "transforming" her career.
"I had an opportunity to do so many kinds of roles. In 2018, I had four releases, which was the beginning of a good phase in my career. There was 'Manto' (in which she played Safia Manto) and shortly after that, there was Beena Tripathi in 'Mirzapur', which was completely different from that. Then, there was Neeti Singh, who is a cop, in 'Delhi Crime'," she added.
While she is all for the "captive sort of viewing" experience one gets in a cinema hall, the 39-year-old said streamers offer convenient access to the audience.
"This kind of viewing is I think more in sync with the kind of lives we lead these days because people are always strapped for time. This is something that naturally has happened because of the way we live these days and there is a certain kind of accessibility to it (OTT), which is nice.
"But I also romanticise the other captive sort of viewing, which is the theatrical viewing where there's no noise, there's no disturbance, you are in a dark space and watching it with other people. It's like a community viewing where other people's responses affect what you feel about what you're watching... They are both very different experiences and they're both here to stay." Dugal's latest project on OTT is "Shekhar Home", a web series inspired by the adventures of the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes starring Kay Kay Menon in the title role.
In the JioCinema show, the actor plays a mysterious woman called Iraboty, clearly modelled on the character of Irene Adler from the original books.
As someone who grew up watching investigative dramas like "Karamchand", "Sherlock Holmes" and "Byomkesh Bakshi" in the early 1990s, Dugal said "Shekhar Home" is an interesting addition to her filmography.
"I play a character called Iraboti, who is the only one who can match Shekhar's wits in this world... There's a very interesting camaraderie between them, where there is a hint of romance and there's a curiosity," she added.
Last week, her film "Little Thomas" had its world premiere at the 15th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
The '90s-set comedy drama follows the title character who desperately wants a baby brother from his parents Jessie and Desmond, played by Dugal and Gulshan Devaiah.
"It's a beautiful and simple film. I have known Gulshan for a very long time. We kind of started our careers at the same time and we have so many friends in common. It was nice to finally get an opportunity to work with him."
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