Rasika Dugal was born on January 17, 1985, in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India. She completed her schooling at Sacred Heart Convent and pursued a bachelor's degree in Mathematics (Hons) from Lady Shri Ram College for Women in Delhi. Following her undergraduate studies, she obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Social Communications Media from Sophia Polytechnic in Mumbai and a Post Graduate Diploma in Acting from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. Rasika began her career in the entertainment industry with minor roles in films such as Anwar (2007) and No Smoking (2007). She gained prominence for her performances in critically acclaimed films like Manto (2018), where she portrayed Safia, the wife of writer Saadat Hasan Manto, earning her first Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Rasika is also recognized for her role as Beena Tripathi in the popular web series Mirzapur. She is married to actor Mukul Chadda, with whom she co-wrote the short film Banana Bread.