Rasika Dugal

Rasika Dugal’s story isn’t your cookie-cutter Bollywood tale. Born in Jamshedpur, she grew up dodging the usual small-town stereotypes, schooling at Sacred Heart Convent before heading off to Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi, where she geeked out with a Math (Hons) degree. Not exactly the standard launchpad for an actor, right? But Rasika’s got this knack for flipping the script. After Delhi, she zigzagged to Mumbai’s Sophia Polytechnic for a diploma in Social Communications Media, probably thinking she’d do something “serious”—then boom, she dives headfirst into acting at FTII Pune. She’s not just picking up any old roles, either—Rasika gravitates toward characters with grit and complexity. Think about it: she’s delivered knockout performances in films like ‘Manto’ (Nandita Das’s gem), ‘Hamid,’ ‘Qissa,’ and indie flicks like ‘Kshay’ and ‘Lootcase.’ You’ll also spot her in short films that hit you right in the feels: ‘Chutney,’ ‘The School Bag,’ and ‘Banana Bread.’ But let’s be real, most folks know her as the unfiltered, razor-sharp Beena Tripathi from ‘Mirzapur’ (Amazon Prime) or as the straight-shooting cop Neeti Singh in ‘Delhi Crime’ (Netflix)—roles that blew up her popularity. Oh, and she totally owned the screen as Dr. Meera Kapoor in ‘Out of Love’ (Hotstar). When she’s not working, she’s probably curled up with some Urdu poetry, dabbling in music, or tuning into podcasts in Mumbai. Not your average journey—and honestly, that’s what makes her stand out.