Rasika Dugal: I am always up for different roles

Written and directed by Richie Mehta, Netflix India original Delhi Crime revisited the dreadful 2012 gang-rape case. Shefali Shah played ACP Varthika Chaturvedi, the officer leading the investigation. The series also starred season performers like Rajesh Tailang, Rasika Dugal, Jaya Bhattacharya and Anurag Arora among others.

Rasika, who is also basking in the appreciation for her recent release Hamid, recently spoke exclusively to indianexpress.com about the web series, the aftermath of the 2012 incident and more.

Here are excerpts from the conversation:

Q. Your recent release Delhi Crime has been receiving accolades for its honest approach. What was your first reaction when the show came to you?

When I read the script, I was completely moved. While we all know about the incident, this was from a very different point of view. None of us had any clue about the police’s role in this case and how they cracked it. It was all new information. Richie has done extensive research. There is also a subtle conversation around patriarchy.

Q. While your character Neeti is a strong force, she remains out of action during the investigation. Did you feel left out in any way during the shoot?

That’s how police procedure works. She was doing the job that was assigned to her. I think it was difficult on Neeti’s part emotionally to see everything so closely. There was actually an officer who was taking care of the family then. Neeti was the connecting factor between the police team and the family.

Q. How did you prepare for the role? Did you meet the officer on whom your character is based upon?

Actually, the script had a lot, making my work easier. I couldn’t meet the officer as she was posted in Andaman. But I read the transcripts of interviews that Richie had done with her. Also, Neeti is an amalgamation of three characters. I did meet a few IPS officers, who have finished their training and are set to step into the real world, to know their mindset. Even during my day offs, I would hang out with them to know them better.

Q. As a woman, what were your initial reactions when you heard about the incident of December 16, 2012?

I have lived in Delhi, so you know how it was. As women, when you stay away from home, you start negotiating certain factors and ignore some. You decide that you will only go out till a certain time, or a guy friend will pick you up from a point. This shouldn’t be allowed but you tend to get tired fighting about it. There’s a sense of fatigue and so you make it a part of your living. As for the incident, it really brought innate fear in us. Honestly, it could have been any one of us. The act was also more frightful because it was so heinous. I think after that, a bus and an iron rod have a different meaning for all of us.

Q. In recent times, we are seeing the audience appreciating content like Delhi Crime or your last film Hamid. What do you feel has been instrumental in the change?

Of course with digital, content is now beyond cinema. I was hugely disappointed when my film Qissa did not see a big theatrical release. But now that it’s available on an online platform, I have had people come and talk about it. As an actor, you want your work to be viewed as much as possible. And now, even I can ask people to watch my work because it’s available on other platforms. I must also add that our audience has always been receptive and evolved. It’s because of the distribution pattern that only films following formula get big releases. But times have changed and we have clear proof of the same.

Q. But don’t you want to also do a formula film?

(Laughs) I don’t want to fall for any formula but I am always up for different roles. I would be happy to dance around a tree someday but no one has offered me anything like that.

Q. You have become a go-to-actor for powerful roles. Does that add any pressure on you?

It’s very gratifying, to say the least. I feel fortunate for the roles that required a lot from me. But I don’t want to take my work so seriously that there is no room for me to experiment. My focus remains on doing good roles and getting it right always.

Q. What’s next?

There are two films, quite commercial by standards, in post-production. One is an improvisation comedy film with a very interesting structure. I have worked with this Improv Comedy group and it was a challenge to take this ahead as a film and shoot without even a script. My husband continues to be a part of the group and he too is there in this project.