Rashami Desai reveals why she disappeared from TV for 4 years: ‘I was told my career is over’

Actor Rashami Desai is again on tv with Star Plus’ Sayonee after being away from the small display screen for a number of years. In an interview with Screen, she opened up about her time away from tv, reflecting on the challenges she confronted and the judgements she encountered all through her profession.

Rashami said television’s long-term commitments had taught her several lessons, including things she needed to unlearn. She revealed that she had stopped reading social media comments over the past three and a half months, adding that she believed some trolling was paid for. She also stressed that online abuse needed to have limits, pointing out that it had driven several people to suicide.

Rashami said she had been underestimated because she was a woman. She criticised the tendency to portray women as objects on screen, stressing that female actors were more than their looks or glamour. She added that women had been stereotyped for too long and deserved recognition for their hard work.

Rashami said she had much more to achieve as an actor and was confident in her abilities, but felt she had not been given the right platform. She added that people had generalised her as a television actor. She said, “When somebody is so obsessed with her work, you can not simply take a look at her in a glamorous manner. It occurred to me, and I made a decision to not work then. TV doesn’t make you an object. It provides you a platform. It is a really underrated platform. TV has a stronger attain than some other platform, but it surely’s seen as taboo. So many individuals advised me I’m an overexposed face. I used to be advised my profession is over.”