Rasika Dugal on Saif Ali Khan: 'I unlearned self-absorption' while filming Kartavya
Synopsis
Rasika Dugal's first pairing with Saif Ali Khan in Kartavya taught her a hard lesson: actors who command a set aren't the ones lost in their own heads. In a refreshing bit of self-awareness, the Mirzapur star credited Khan's ensemble consciousness as the antidote to her own introspective tendencies — a masterclass in how veteran actors elevate those around them.
Key Takeaways
Rasika Dugal and Saif Ali Khan share screen time for the first time in Kartavya , a Netflix original.
Dugal credited Khan with teaching her the importance of set awareness and not retreating into her own mental space.
Khan has sustained a successful career for over three decades and is known for his reinvention as an actor.
Kartavya features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Mishra , Zakir Hussain , Manish Chaudhari , and Saurabh Dwivedi .
The film is directed and written by Pulkit and premieres on Netflix on 15 May 2024 .
Actress Rasika Dugal has opened up about her first on-screen collaboration with Saif Ali Khan in the upcoming Netflix film Kartavya, revealing a key lesson she absorbed from working alongside the veteran actor. In a candid interview, Dugal credited Khan with teaching her the importance of set awareness and ensemble consciousness — qualities she admitted she had previously overlooked.
What Rasika learned from Saif
Dugal, best known for her role in the web series Mirzapur, explained that Khan possesses a rare ability to balance his own performance with a holistic understanding of the entire set dynamic. "There are some actors who are able to understand what is happening on the set entirely and do their job also, which I saw Saif do very beautifully," she said.
The unlearning process
The actress confessed that she tends to become introspective during shoots, often retreating into her own mental space at the expense of broader set dynamics. "Sometimes when I am on set, I can only be in my own head a little bit and not really be able to carry everybody together with me, and not even sort of take on that responsibility," Dugal acknowledged. "So I unlearned how to do that because I saw him do that so beautifully."
On working with Khan
Dugal described Khan as exceptionally engaging and humorous on set. "It's great to have a co-actor who has a super sense of humour and is so much fun to work with," she remarked. She also praised his longevity in cinema, noting that she admired "how he has sustained a successful career for over three decades and constantly reinvented himself."
About Kartavya
Directed and written by Pulkit, Kartavya features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Mishra, Zakir Hussain, Manish Chaudhari, and Saurabh Dwivedi. The film is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on 15 May 2024.
Point of View
Not a solo performance. Khan's three-decade career offers a template that Bollywood's younger crop would do well to study—longevity comes not from self-absorption but from making everyone around you sharper.
NationPress
1 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kartavya and when is it releasing?
Kartavya is a Netflix original film directed and written by Pulkit. It premieres on Netflix on 15 May 2024 and marks the first on-screen pairing of Rasika Dugal and Saif Ali Khan.
What did Rasika Dugal unlearn while working on Kartavya?
Rasika Dugal unlearned the habit of retreating into her own head during shoots. She credited Saif Ali Khan's ability to maintain set awareness and ensemble consciousness as the inspiration for this shift in her approach.
Who else is in the cast of Kartavya?
The film features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Mishra, Zakir Hussain, Manish Chaudhari, and Saurabh Dwivedi in significant roles.
What did Rasika Dugal say about working with Saif Ali Khan?
Dugal praised Khan as exceptionally fun to work with and admired his ability to sustain a successful career for over three decades while constantly reinventing himself as an actor.
