Rasika Dugal: I don’t know who my competitors are. It kind of relives me of the burden of competitive spirit

From the feisty Beena Tripathi in Mirzapur to the idealistic cop Neeti Singh in Delhi Crime to the strong Dr Meera Kapoor in Out Of Love, Rasika Dugal‘s varied roles in digital series have won her accolades and popularity amongst audiences. Her career trajectory has taken a sharp rise since the last few years. A sought after actor on OTT, Dugal feels there are no stars on OTT.

She explains, “Aaj ke zamane mein everyone is a star on OTT. There’s a lot of work for everyone. It’s a healthy space to be in. Every month, there will be five new shows with 20 new actors who will shine. You know that it’s not just five people who will rule the roost. The idea that only a few people are getting work has been destroyed, which is great. It keeps everyone on their toes. It makes them wonder if they are the star of the moment.”

With a handful of faces garnering fame, acclaim and popularity on OTT, ask her about competition from her contemporaries and she replies, “I have done not just different sorts of roles but also played different ages like Mirzapur’s Beena Tripathi and Delhi Crime’s Neeti Singh. Fortunately, I have had such variety of roles that I don’t know who I am competing with. It seems too many people, as I fall in several categories. It is a great thing for an actor. I don’t know who my competitors are. It kind of relives me of the burden of competitive spirit.”

After multiple releases in the last two years including web shows A Suitable Boy, Out of Love season 2, Mirzapur season 2 and film Lootcase (2020), she admits that sometimes she wonders if one should be continuously working. Dugal, who is currently in Palampur shooting for a new project, says, “I know that I need time to hold back and work hard on one project. At times, projects release back-to-back and you get the limelight but it is important to not feel insecure of not being out there all the time. One should know that there will be 6-7 months when there’s no release and that’s ok. Use the time in doing the work.”