Kartavya's Rasika Dugal Questions If Cinema Truly Values Women Behind Men In Uniform - EXCLUSIVE

Rasika

Dugal has always been known for choosing roles that challenge stereotypes and bring depth to overlooked characters. She is now all set to play the wife of a police officer (Saif Ali Khan) in Netflix's Kartavya. In her latest interview, she reflects on a unique perspective, moving from playing an IPS officer in Delhi Crime to portraying the cop’s wife, and the often-unseen women in the lives of men in service, like police or army personnel. She questioned whether cinema truly respects women, who are often relegated to supporting roles despite playing important roles. She discussed the need for meaningful representation and calls for stories that give women the attention, respect, and depth they deserve.

Rasika Dugal on whether female characters get enough credit

During an exclusive interview with Zoom, Rasika Dugal was asked whether we do enough justice to the women who are there in the lives of men who are in service or in positions like a cop or in the army on screen. She said, "Yes, we do give them enough respect. Not in every film. I've not seen that happen in every film. But I have seen that even with shorter screen time, the roles that used to be cardboard cutouts are not like that anymore. There is some examination of what's happening in a relationship, in the life of a woman. There is an attempt to understand, to give it some sort of value and attention." Rasika said that it does not always succeed and she also added that she felt that the intent is there most of the time, though many times it is not. However, she believed that the industry is moving in a good direction and that things are better than they used to be. She said that with the understanding hopefully it gets even better in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aW3xSHceDQ

Rasika Dugal on championing women-centric roles

When asked about the ongoing conversation around championing women-centric roles in films, Rasika Dugal admitted that she isn’t part of the decision-making rooms, and sometimes she prefers it that way. She expressed concern over dismissive attitudes toward writing meaningful roles for women, calling them “lost causes” in some discussions. "I hope there are people in those rooms with better sense who can realize that there needs to be diversity in storytelling for it to be palpable in today's world," she said. Rasika said that from the time a story reaches her, she has noticed small changes happening, even when the screen time is limited. She observed that there is an effort to give these roles some value and attention, and to portray them as proper relationships rather than just traditional, stereotypical roles. "I know that there is a slot at the back end which is difficult for people to overcome—the idea that there should only be male heroes, that female-centric stories will not do well, or that there isn’t an audience for it. I disagree. I think people are just not taking a chance on it," she said.

About Kartavya

Kartavya is a gritty Hindi crime thriller on Netflix. Saif Ali Khan plays Pawan Malik, a honest cop whose life turns upside down when a journalist is killed while he’s in charge. Rasika Dugal plays his wife. Directed by Pulkit, Kartavya will be released on May 15, 2026.