Mumbai, September 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Actress Rasika Dugal has recalled a significant turning point in her career, saying the 2018 biographical drama Manto helped her emerge from a professional slump and gave her an important artistic experience.
In an interview with IANS, Rasika reflected on some of the defining roles of her journey, including Beena Tripathi in Mirzapur and Safiya in Manto. She said both characters had contributed to her career in different ways.
“Beena has given me fame, a wide audience and also a box-office hit. Safiya will always be very important in my life because I think it is a story about a celebrated writer,” she said.
Rasika said Manto, directed by Nandita Das, was particularly meaningful because it also explored the life of Safiya, wife of celebrated writer Saadat Hasan Manto, rather than treating her as merely a supporting figure.
“While narrating his story, the film does not ignore his wife’s story. That was the director’s intention,” she said, praising Das for ensuring that Safiya was not portrayed as a secondary character.
The actress also spoke about the importance of bringing women’s perspectives into stories traditionally centred on prominent men.
“Sometimes it happens that we remember the stories of men and forget the stories of women,” Rasika said, adding that Safiya’s journey was given the attention it deserved in the film.
She said she felt proud to have been part of a project that consciously brought Safiya’s story to the forefront.
Rasika, who also appeared in Anwar, has established herself through work across films and streaming projects. Her portrayal of Beena Tripathi in the Mirzapur franchise has been among her widely recognised roles.
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