Rasika Duggal turns writer to create a love story with hubby Mukul Chadda from the confines of their home
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; June 14, 2020)

A preoccupation with baking healthy versions of banana bread has kept Rasika Dugal entertained during the Coronavirus lockdown. In an era of social distancing, she refers to them as "new-age hugs". "Since we can't hug our loved ones, I send them my 'baked with love' goodies instead."

It comes as no surprise then that she picked the name of the delicacy as the title of her upcoming short, which marks her writing debut, and sees her feature with husband Mukul Chadda. "As soon as the lockdown was announced, we began doing household chores, and sanitised the place as a safety precaution. We thought of incorporating these elements into a story, and creating a short. Things we learnt from conversing with others over the phone, especially with those who are living alone, have also been woven into the story," adds Dugal, who was last seen Delhi Crime (2019) and Out Of Love (2019).

The short film sees them play neighbours who live alone. They bond over banana bread as they deal with the lockdown. When they begin to believe that they could become companions, there is a twist in the tale.

Director Srinivas Sunderrajan instructed them over a video conference, as Terribly Tiny Tales came on board as presenters. As a writer, Dugal found fulfilling this added responsibility both "encouraging and demanding".

"Banana Bread provided a chance to go through the entire filmmaking process, right from conception to realisation. Writing a short is a tough proposition since one has only a few minutes to say what they wish to."

Actor Rasika Dugal on stereotypes, and the evolution of a woman’s character in scripts
Deebashree Mohanty (TIMES LIFE; June 16, 2019)

You’ve said unlike films, web space is path breaking when it comes to women’s representation
A lot of interesting and nuanced scripts are being written these days. The digital space has room for a true ensemble. There are multiple tracks that can co-exist and each character can get its time and space. If you are shooting for a digital series, which might be typically eight episodes, it is effectively like shooting for five films – you have the luxury of time.

Very often in films, due to lack of time, the first victim of script editing is the woman’s character. In the digital space, there is room for multiple characters to flourish. This space has also finally given attention to good writing, and it has acknowledged that good writing is more than half the job done. Better nuanced scripts definitely lead to more nuanced women’s roles. But we still have a long, long way to go.

Is it the age-old prejudice that women can’t sell a film?
It’s a prejudice so deeply ingrained in society that it cannot disappear overnight, and will find its way into the script somehow. It’s funny how we see it everywhere and we say to ourselves... ‘oh my god, we still haven't gotten over such prejudices’.

How far do you think the empowered portrayal of women has helped the cause?
It hasn’t actually. In an attempt to move away from one kind of stereotype about women, we might be falling into another stereotype – where the woman’s character resembles a man’s. She would do everything that a man would do. Her femininity is not celebrated. That is something I find in a lot of films and series I have watched.

After doing Mirzapur, I also felt we possibly don’t have a visual language in which we can acknowledge women as sexual beings. Our existing visual language is so sexualised that we are scrambling to find something new. Things are moving towards a better scenario but we’re not quite there yet.

Though things are slowly changing, there are still not enough scripts exploring women’s sexuality…
Every time you put yourself out there and acknowledge yourself as a sexual being with sexual needs, there is so much misogyny thrown at you that it’s startling. First, it’s this reality check. Then, it also gets quite disheartening. With social media and so much accessibility, you realise every day what a prejudiced world you are living in. But it’s a battle we have to fight today.

Some directors and storytellers are trying to find a visual language that works... but not everyone has the sensitivity or the skill for it. There is a long journey between the script and the visual that one gets to see. That journey depends a lot on sensitivity.

You’ve been a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement. Has there been any tangible change in your work environment?
I’m happy that there’s a movement that has been acknowledged, and finally there is a conversation around it. It is not fair to expect tangible changes so soon. I do my bit by familiarising people I work with about the POSH rules, and how they are implemented. I also make sure production houses are in compliance with those rules before I sign up with them.

Change takes time. But today, I see that in a work environment if someone says something sexist, there will be enough people to call it out. That’s a start.

You’ve mostly picked projects that aren’t mainstream. A conscious decision?
No. I believe that as actors the work you truly, deeply want to do finds you. So, even though a chosen film may not have a conscious decision towards a goal, somewhere you are doing things that lead you to those goals. I have been open to all sorts of films; just that the kind of films offered in the commercial space have not been very compelling in terms of screen time and quality.

Is there a commercial film you think you were cut out for?
Queen. I’d have loved to do that film. The other role I am dying to do is a biopic on Amrita Pritam.

In between all this, where is the time for love?
There is always time for love. I love the time I get with my love anyway. My husband, Mukul (Chadda), and I know how to give each other space and when to give each other priority. We also enjoy our private time to the fullest. We've been a little lucky as far as media attention is concerned. Married celebrities are a little less interesting than the unmarried ones.

QUICK TAKE

De-stress schedule:
I usually de-stress by learning something new. It really changes the way your mind works. I have taken up Urdu classes, started learning sign language and have also enrolled myself for singing lessons. New things make me happy and relaxed.

On your bookshelf:
I have been reading Becoming by Michelle Obama for the last three months. It's very interesting but I don't have the time to finish it.

Music playlist:
I've been listening to the soundtracks for This Is Us S2 and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel on loop.

Describe your den at home:
I have this nice relaxing chair in a corner where there is just a book shelf and an antique lamp. It is right next to the window from where I can see a little bit of the sea... that’s my rewind zone.