Rasika Dugal EXCLUSIVE Interview On Why Movies Like Manto, Tu Hai Mera Sunday Need A Proper Release!
| |
Best known for her role in the movies Kshay, Qissa, Rasika Dugal has always proved her versatility with her off-beat choices of films and power-packed performances. Box Office Capsule had an amazing time interacting about the movie 'Manto' with the talented actor Rasika Duggal. Read on to know the deets! 1. Your character Safia was a very layered one, it wasn't your run of the mill heroine. She was the reason why Manto survived his life, do you feel this is your most complex character? One of the most complex I feel, I have done a film called 'Qissa' in which I've played the role of a girl called 'Neeli' which also I feel is one of the most interesting characters I've done besides 'Safia' in 'Manto'. I have also done another film called Kshay, which was the first movie as a lead, it was a total woman-centric, character-driven film and it's about one woman and her obsession with the statue of goddess Lakshmi. I've been very fortunate to get very good scripts with very good directors. When Nandita asked me to do Safia it was thrilling because I've been an avid reader of Manto's work. I thought Manto pe picture Ban Rahi Hai how I cannot be a part of it. It was really a privilege to work with Nandita Das and Nawazuddin Siddique. 2. When they say nowadays Bollywood is getting more content oriented, why movies like Manto are still struggling to find a connect? We tend to categorize movies as content driven and not content-driven, those lines are bearing as you said. The ones which are considered not so mainstream should need to be released and publicised well, to begin with. I think that's where they kind of lose the game. Even a film like 'Tu Hai Mera Sunday' was very warmly received by the audience, in fact, that's a very slice-of-life accessible film. It wasn't released in enough screens, it didn't have the ability to get the kind of publicity or release a big studio film would have. So even if the word of mouth is good and people are interested they don't have convenient show times to watch. That's where these films lose out and that's unfortunate. The intention of making it is good and it's a piece of work well done and the intention is for the audience to watch it but there is a gap we are not able to fill. 3. You've expressed your wish to play Amrita Pritam in a film, who do you think will fit the bill to play Sahir Ludhianvi and Imroz in the film and why? (Laughs!) Wahan tak maine ab tak socha nahi but that's a very interesting one. I was not expecting that question but it's a very very fun question. Meanwhile, I will look for my Sahir. 4. While watching Manto, the very rare thing I noticed is its progressiveness. How Manto and Ismat's friendship was shown, it was so pure. That's rare to see even now. If you can add something? It's the characteristic of how I see the progressive writers of that time. Yes, there is disagreement but aisa nahi ke hum aapse baat nahi karenge agar aap haamri politics se sehmat nahi hai. That's something we need to learn today because from the way from last 5-6 years the society has been polarised whether it's right or left, man or woman, we are not ready to even talk to each other. It's like if you don't agree with me I am not talking to you. That's the totality of all kind of trolling also, I have felt strongly in the last 5-6 years because people don't talk to each other if they don't agree with their politics. The idea to speak out your mind is not to shut out other's voice. Manto said this in his writings and it also shows how the progressive writers were at that time. There was a time when Manto fell out with the progressiveness and that's shown in the film when they were in Lahore. Manto had a very healthy relationship and camaraderie with Ismat where they critiqued each other's work. This is shown when he says in the film, "Yeh toh aakhri line this Lihaaf ki aur aapne saara bigaad diya." He criticised the way she chose to end Lihaaf. 5. What's next after Manto? Have you signed anything or reading any scripts? I have worked in several scripts which are soon going to come out after Manto. The first that will probably to come out will be the web show Mirzapur in which I have acted opposite Pankaj Tripathi. It will come out on Amazon and it's a dramatically different role from Safia. So I am very excited to see myself in a very different role. Then there's a film called amid which is premiering in MAMI next month which is a film set in Kashmir and is a very innocent story about a mother and a child. I have done a film in a commercial and comic space, so there are a variety of things. 6. All the very best for it! How do you think your life will change after Manto? My life changed significantly when I signed Manto. Also because of Nawazuddin and Nandita being connected to it and being a film made on Manto, there was a lot of buzz about the film from the beginning. It got a lot of attention from the time it was being made. Being the part of the process made me empowered. I used to keep telling Nandita, "Har roz Manto ki ek kahani padd leni chahiye." Directed by Nandita Das, produced by Nandita Das, Ajit Andhare, Namrata Goyal and Vikrant Batra, MANTO was released on 21st September 2018. Now you can enjoy ad-free experience by downloading India’s first Box Office mobile app from here –Android: http://bit.ly/BOCapsuleMobileApp and iOS: bit.ly/BOCapsuleiOSApp |