Rasika Dugal: I live vicariously through Beena; she is everything that I am not

Rasika Dugal in Mirzapur 2

Rasika Dugal shocked viewers in the second season of Mirzapur as her character, the quiet Beena Tripathi, emerged as the mastermind behind the downfall of the Tripathi family. "The writing is deliciously wicked and unpredictable. What excited me about Beena's persona was that she would have a body language, which is different from mine. She wears her sexuality on her sleeve in a dignified way, and is unapologetic about the way she is," begins Dugal, who is nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Series) category at the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards.

Call it a quirk or her method of internalising her character, but Dugal likes to add a personal element to her roles. "It's a gift from me to the character. It's usually something small - a pouch for coins, a phone cover, or earrings." As Beena, the actor decided to wear rings made of different gemstones. "I saw her as someone who is not God-fearing, but would probably be taking regular advice from an astrologer."

The second season saw Beena play mind games with those around - she gives birth to the son of Raja, the domestic help, and makes husband Kaleen bhaiyya believe that the newborn is his son. At the same time, she tells her father-in-law that he's the one who got her pregnant. "It was all there in the writing. I live vicariously through Beena; she is everything that I am not. I am glad that the women characters are central to the plot in this season."

Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards

Rasika Dugal has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Female): Series category for Mirzapur 2. The other nominees are:

. Anupriya Goenka: Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors (Disney+Hotstar)
. Maanvi Gagroo: Four More Shots Please 2 (Amazon Prime Video)
. Neena Gupta: Masaba Masaba (Netflix)
. Sheeba Chaddha: Bandish Bandits (Amazon Prime Video)
. Tabu: A Suitable Boy (Netflix)

Log on to www.hitlistottawards.com to cast your vote.

You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c as on the website) to 57575.

Voting lines close on February 9.

Did you know?

During the auditions, Dugal was certain that she would not be considered for the role as she had never played such a bold character