Rashami Desai Speaks Out On Being Underestimated

Picture someone telling you that your career is over. That’s what Rashami Desai heard. The same Rashami who many of us remember from Uttaran and Bigg Boss 13. She took a break from television for three to four years. Now she is back with a new show called Sayonee on Star Plus. In a conversation with Screen, she shared her true feelings. She talked about the labels people put on her. She spoke about the comments on her appearance and also explained why she decided to follow her own path no matter what others said.

The Break Nobody Understood

Most people recognize Rashami from the show Uttaran. Her popularity increased even more after she took part in Bigg Boss 13. She reached the stage of that competition. She was seen on television a lot during those years. Ironically, that’s where the problem began. She says people in the industry, and some viewers too, started saying she was “everywhere” and that the audience was tired of seeing her. She was even told her career was over. She didn’t answer that by taking up more work. She walked away instead. By her own account, she stayed off television for about three to four years, and it was her choice. She turned down offers, spent the time working on herself, and thought hard about what she really wanted to do.

That’s a scary move in this business. Things change fast, and when a face goes missing for a few years, people assume something went wrong. Rashami doesn’t see it that way, and it was a start for her as she completely stopped trying to meet others' expectations and focused on what she wanted for once. She spoke about bullying and the endless remarks about her looks. She made it clear that bullying and when people only judge you by your looks they miss your talent and fail to see your talent.

Back on Screen and Speaking Up

Her comeback is Sayonee on Star Plus, and it gave her a chance to say a few things she clearly had on her mind. Much of it was about how women are treated in entertainment. She feels female actors are often pushed into one narrow image, glamorous and good-looking, when the job asks for so much more. In her view, women should get credit for their hard work and craft, not just their looks.

She also brought up how she gets labelled as just a television actress. Plenty of people still think TV ranks below films or streaming, and she has never agreed. She believes she’s a good performer who hasn’t always got the right platform. She said something similar in an older interview too, calling TV a serious commitment to the audience. Her stance hasn’t really changed. The thing I noticed most is that she doesn’t sound angry. She isn’t blaming the industry or saying it owes her anything. She just says she has more to do and that she trusts her own ability. After being publicly written off, that’s a pretty calm way to respond.

Her story applies beyond one person, really. Careers don’t always follow a path, and stepping back doesn’t mean you’ve given up. A lot of people return after a break, with a clear sense of purpose. Rashami Desai appears to be one of them.  Whether Sayonee turns into a hit or not, her return has already got people talking about labels, stereotypes, and how fast we decide someone is finished. Now it’s up to the viewers to see if this second chapter can go even higher than the first.