Rasika Dugal recalls watching ‘Umrao Jaan’ with Rekha, resonates with Rani Mukerji’s Shakuntala story at Melbourne

Mumbai, August 22 (IANS) Actress Rasika Dugal looked back at her memorable moments from the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026.

The actress recalled the experience of watching the classic Umrao Jaan with veteran actress Rekha and shared an emotional anecdote about Rani Mukerji.

Taking to her social media account, Rasika shared a series of pictures from the festival and described the experience as one that left her inspired despite the hectic schedule of long flights, events and back-to-back commitments.

Among her most memorable moments, as mentioned by her, was watching Umrao Jaan alongside Rekha, who starred as the iconic titular character in the 1981 classic. Rekha was honoured with the Excellence in Cinema award at IFFM 2026, while a special screening of Umrao Jaan was also held as part of the festival.

Sharing a picture with Rekha from the event, Rasika wrote, “Watching Umrao Jaan with Rekha ji. And with an audience that completed dialogues and sang along with the songs.”

Reflecting on the impact of the film decades after its release, she added, “That a film can have that kind of impact 45 years after it was made… yes, what we do is worth it.”

Rasika also recalled listening to Rani Mukerji share a personal story about not being cast as Shakuntala in a school play, stating that she resonated with her deeply.

“Listening to Rani Mukerji share a beautiful story about not being cast as Shakuntala in a school play — which I resonated with completely. Turns out all of us have a Shakuntala story,” she wrote.

The anecdote came during an important moment at IFFM for Rani, who was honoured with an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Australia’s La Trobe University on August 14.

The actress was seen turning emotional while receiving the honour, which recognised her nearly three-decade contribution to Indian cinema as well as her humanitarian work and advocacy around women, children communities.

Rani, who became the second Indian film personality after Shah Rukh Khan to receive the honorary Doctor of Letters from La Trobe University, described the recognition as “one of the most humbling moments” of her life.

For Rasika, the Melbourne festival was also a moment of personal achievement as she was named Best Actress in the series category at IFFM 2026 for Delhi Crime 3.

–IANS

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