Aug 21, 2026 5:30pm IST
Rasika Dugal On Her Character’s Return in ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’: ‘Beena Tripathi Makes Me Feel Sexy’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Rasika Dugal is all set to reprise her role as Beena Tripathi in “Mirzapur: The Movie,” the series-to-film adaptation of the celebrated show. Speaking exclusively with Variety India, she opens up on the character's mysterious past and why it is the toughest role of her career.
The actor says Beena has been one of the most demanding characters she has played, particularly because of the physicality required to portray her. "I didn't want to play to the gallery without any physicality because it would really take away from the dignity of the character. I had so little experience of exploring the kind of person who wears their sexuality on their sleeve," she notes.
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On what audiences can expect from her character in the upcoming film, Dugal quips, "She's been there for all seasons. She's a mysterious woman. The film gives her mysteriousness some context.” She admits to genuinely enjoying stepping into the part again, explaining, "I live vicariously through Beena. It's a different role to do and a different way of being for me. I am thrilled about being Beena. She makes me feel sexy. In fact, ‘Mirzapur' was my first brush with reaching a wide audience. I hope with the film, we can expand that farther. Every time 'Mirzapur' happens, it opens up a new chapter in my life."
Asked how Beena's transformation from a powerless figure to one of the show's sharpest strategists was built over the seasons, Dugal credited the writing, saying, “Puneet Krishna has done a fantastic job in giving her that power where she's really not the person who wants the attention but she's making sure she pulls the strings. She also knows people's weaknesses and how to play with them. She's the puppeteer.”
Did the film’s runtime change how she approached the character compared to the series? She replies, "It’s true to an extent. But we had many seasons to establish the characters. The buildup is already done. Had it been the first time I was visiting this character, it would have been difficult to build her up from scratch. I did not feel that with the movie, thanks to the previous seasons."
On reuniting with co-stars Pankaj Tripathi and Divyenndu, who play Kaleen Bhaiyya and Munna Tripathi respectively, Dugal says, "Divyenndu and I were in film school together, so we understand each other's work very well. Pankaj does a million things when you are working with him, things that you notice and sometimes don't even notice in the moment. Then, when you watch the scene later, you realise there are so many little things he's done that you hadn't picked up on while shooting. In fact, I recently went to dub for 'Mirzapur' and watched a scene that Pankaj and I had done together. I thought it had turned out well, and so much of that was because of the many things he was doing in that scene that I hadn't even noticed while we were shooting.”
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Pressed for a spoiler-free tease about a challenging scene audiences can look forward to, Dugal keeps it cryptic, adding, "It doesn't end till it ends. Audiences should remember that."
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