Rasika Dugal joined Saif Ali Khan and the entire cast and crew at the Mumbai trailer launch of Netflix’s upcoming crime drama Kartavya, where she spoke in detail about her role and the emotional depth she hopes to bring to the story.
Rasika, who plays the character Varsha, emphasized that while Kartavya operates in the high-energy world of a crime thriller, its true strength lies in its emotional undercurrent. She expressed hope that her on-screen chemistry with Saif Ali Khan’s character Pawan Malik would help bring that emotional layer to the forefront — something she feels is often overshadowed in fast-paced action-driven narratives.
Speaking at the event, Rasika said: “My duty is simply this—and it is something I hope to achieve—that through the personal journeys of Pawan and Varsha—the characters played by Saif and myself—we might be able to touch upon the emotional core of the film. It often happens that, amidst the fast-paced momentum of a crime drama, these subtle nuances tend to get overlooked; however, I feel that the emotional core truly emerges through the exchanges, conversations, and even the silences shared between these two characters.”
Her statement highlighted a key creative direction of Kartavya, which aims to balance tension and suspense with deeply human storytelling. Rather than focusing only on the mechanics of investigation and crime, the film appears to explore the emotional consequences carried by its characters, particularly through relationships shaped by trust, silence, and unspoken conflict.
Directed by Pulkit and produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment, Kartavya is a crime drama that also features Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Dwivedi, Zakir Hussain, and Manish Chaudhari in important roles. The film was officially announced by Netflix on February 3, 2026, and is scheduled to release on May 15, 2026.
With Rasika Dugal’s focus on emotional storytelling and Saif Ali Khan’s grounded performance, Kartavya is positioning itself as more than just a crime thriller — but a layered exploration of human connection within a world of justice, consequence, and moral complexity.