Audience has loved the Rasika Dugal and Pankaj Tripathi as Bea and Akhandanand Tripathi in the ‘Mirzapur’ series.
However, this is not the first time they shared a screen space.
They previously starred in the TV series called, ‘powder’ together.
In an exclusive interview with Etimes, Rasika spilled beans on their friendship, women’s content-oriented waves in OTT and more.
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You have worked with Tripathi PANKAJ before ‘Mirzapur’.
How is he as an actor and as a person? Pankaj is very fun! He is an extraordinary actor and humans.
He was very comfortable on his skin so there was no pretense.
There is no simplicity, or false simplicity.
Very pleasant has someone like him around you.
He is also very funny; He has natural abilities for comedy, as documented by the comic work.
Even if he said something with a straight face, he made me laugh.
It’s fun to have it.
As you mentioned, we have had the previous association.
We came together for ‘mirzapur’ about 10 years after we worked together in ‘powder’.
It’s amazing to see how he has changed and grown as an actor.
I remember when we met in the ‘Mirzapur’ set for one season, we both started talking about the scene in the ‘powder’ which we both remembered.
It is a beautiful view of us together; We are very different.
If ‘powder’ is still available on the platform, I would love to watch the scene again and compare it with our scene at ‘Mirzapur’.
There has been a wave of women-oriented content in OTT.
How do you see it as an actor? It is time.
A few years ago, I felt that giving an important part for a woman in a story was a tokenism act, where people would only say that it was a ‘story that was driven by a woman.
I don’t think they really explore the nuances of a woman and celebrate femininity.
I wondered where it would leave.
But the last three years had some kind of change.
I think the writing becomes very nuanced and the story is told very interesting.
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How do you look back at your trip in the film industry so far? I was very busy looking forward that I didn’t really look back but I thought I was lucky for the type of work that had come, and also for the kind of person I had the opportunity to collaborate with.
I have worked with some of the best actors in our country such as Irrfran Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tripathi Pankaj, Shefali Shah, Tisca Chopra, Tillotama Shome and many others.
Pure joy works with them.
I was also lucky to have worked with the director who had been so skilled and sensitive.
You have done a myriad of roles in your career, working with many actors and directors – Do you still have an actor bucket list and the director you want to do? Of course, I have a list of buckets of people I want to do.
With every new series or film I watch, I feel like this director has done a good job, or I want to work with this actor someday.
I think my wish didn’t end and it was a healthy space to be.
What is next? I will start photographing for my new show in October.
I have another show right after that.
The first show requires me to do a lot of preparation for my role, so I really invest in it now.
I like the part where I prepare my role because you can learn with a lot of pressure because it’s wrong.
I really enjoyed my time now.
