04 September,2026 01:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rasika Dugal. Pic via Instagram
Rasika Dugal's Beena Tripathi has been one of the most layered characters in Mirzapur, with the actor bringing a quiet confidence and unpredictability to the role. With the release of Mirzapur: The Movie today, Dugal opened up about some of Beena's most difficult moments, including the disturbing rape she endured in the series.
Looking back at the rape scene, Dugal said what affected her most was seeing a character who was usually in control suddenly stripped of her agency. "I felt shattered to see Beena in a powerless situation," she said, describing the experience of portraying the sequence.
Dugal explained to NDTV that much of Beena's emotional core was already present on the page. For her, the challenge was translating that into the character's physicality and presence. "When Beena enters the room, people should turn around and look at her," she recalled of her initial understanding of the character.
The actor also connected Beena's experience to a larger reality faced by women in patriarchal structures. "The truth about women in a patriarchal society is that when a woman owns a place, people don't like it and they try to take her agency," Dugal said.
That loss of control becomes particularly significant in Beena's journey, as the character repeatedly finds ways to reclaim her voice and power. For Dugal, it is this movement between vulnerability and strength that makes Beena such a compelling character to portray.
Dugal also addressed the scrutiny surrounding female sexuality and desire in popular culture. With actors and films frequently becoming targets of online commentary, she admitted that she has learnt to filter out opinions that could interfere with her creative choices.
"Nowadays, it's not about films anymore. Everyone is commenting on everything around," she said, adding that she has "own filters" to ensure outside noise does not affect her integrity as an actor. She had also recently admitted to feeling nervous ahead of the film's release.
Away from the intense conversations surrounding the show, the Mirzapur cast also found time for some camaraderie while filming. Dugal recalled a gathering organised by Ali Fazal and Divyenndu, including a feast featuring food brought in from Lucknow.
With the cast returning to the world of Mirzapur on the big screen, Beena's journey remains one of the most closely watched threads. Directed by Gurmeet Singh, Mirzapur: The Movie is now in theatres.
