'Films with women in centre don't get producers' backing', laments Rasika Dugal: 'Difficult for them to get released'

Rasika Dugal noted that she regularly receives scripts featuring interesting characters and women at the centre of the story.

Actor Rasika Dugal has said that films with ‘women in the centre’ seldom find backers in Hindi cinema and often struggle for release. The actor, who is currently starring in the Mirzapur movie, also opened up about the use of AI in screenwriting, a global ongoing debate.

Rasika Dugal plays Beena Tripathi in Mirzapur: The Movie.

Rasika Dugal on women-led films in Bollywood

Speaking to ANI, Rasika Dugal said that she routinely receives scripts with strong female characters, but they later struggle to get the required backing. Talking about the state of Indian films, she added, “Writing might change with the help of AI. However, it is the distribution which becomes a problem. I get a lot of scripts every day which have very interesting characters, women in the centre, but they often don't have producers backing them. Or if they have, if those films have been made, it's difficult for them to get releases.”

‘Not in favour of using AI’

The actor then elaborated on her view of the use of artificial intelligence, which is increasingly discussed as a tool that could assist filmmakers at different stages of the creative process, including idea development and writing. “I am not so much in favour of the idea of using AI; I feel that for writing, I feel that AI can be a supporting tool, but not the main thing,” the actor said, adding that she does not use AI extensively herself and therefore does not consider herself particularly well-versed with the technology.

Deep Dive

What challenges do women-led films face in Hindi cinema according to Rasika Dugal?

How does Rasika Dugal view the role of AI in screenwriting?

What is the significance of audience support for films like Mirzapur The Movie?

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Rasika Dugal returns in Mirzapur

Currently, the actor is basking in the success of Mirzapur: The Movie, which sees her reprise her role as Beena Tripathi from the series. The film continues the franchise's story on the big screen, telling an origin tale set in parallel with the events of season 1, which aired in 2019. Mirzapur The Movie brings together several of its popular characters, including Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi), Munna Bhaiya (Divyenndu) and Guddu Pandit (Ali Fazal).

At the centre of the film is the race for the Mirzapur throne, with new contenders entering the conflict and changing the dynamics between the characters. The film also stars Ravi Kishan in a new role, along with Shriya Pilgaonkar, Shweta Tripathi, and Abhishek Banerjee, among others.

Mirzapur: The Movie was released in theatres on September 4, and made ₹57 crore net at the domestic box office in the first two days. The film is now galloping towards the ₹100-crore mark.