Rasika Dugal was to leave for the UK schedule of Anshuman Jha’s debut directorial, Lord Curzon Ki Haveli, on March 17. However, as with many other films, the makers have been forced to call off the shoot. “They took a great call because things escalated after that,” she says. Her other film, Lootcase, co-starring Kunal Keemu, that was up for release on April 10, has also been pushed. “I could not catch the film when they screened it last year for the actors,” she shares, “I hope I get to watch it once this is over.”
Such delays can be frustrating, but Rasika has more urgent concerns on her mind. “I am worried about how we are going to contain this virus and what it is doing to the economy. I’m also disturbed about the situation with the migrant labourers.” As for her personal life, the lockdown hasn’t been much of a bother. “I have been working continuously for the last two years, so this has come as an opportunity to gather my thoughts and introspect. Also, the idea of doing everything on my own is making me feel empowered.”
Rasika starts her day with a workout. This is followed by cooking and doing housework. Along with her husband Mukul Chadda (“he’s the official dishwasher”), she’s been taking online cooking classes from her friends in Goa. “The need of the hour is not to be extravagant or hoard,” Rasika says, “We have been doing simple one-dish meals like egg curry, pav bhaji, sambar... Being a Punjabi, I am quite finicky about my rajma. So that was a tough one to crack.”
The actor has also been reading Rehana Munir’s Bombay-set romance, Paper Moon. In addition, she has also signed up for a weekly singing class and an EDX course on ‘Religion, Conflict and Peace’. There’s also the customary binging: The Spy and Unbelievable (on Netflix) and the Indian adaptation of The Office (on Hotstar). “I cannot be objective about The Office because my husband features in it. I am quite enjoying the second season.”
On surviving the lockdown, Rasika singles out health and resource management as the foremost lessons of this crisis. “We need to be conscious of how we use resources,” she says, “Our lives are drastically different from what the migrant labourers are going through. Many of them have been living in the city for so long and yet, we haven’t been able to provide them with a home. It’s hurtful to see that in any crisis, there is still privilege involved.”