Wish to be welcomed more in Gujarati films now: Rashami Desai

Rashami Desai, who made her D-Town debut with Superstar in 2017, is back to Gujarati films after eight years. Rashami, who was recently seen in Mom Tane Nai Samjay, shares, “I am happy to see the changes in the filmmaking process and the kind of content being explored in our films now. I love watching Gujarati films and listen to their songs regularly. Our films have tremendous potential and I hope that we get equal support from our audiences too.” She adds, “Our audience has good spending capacity, so, all we need is to offer them good content.”
‘Wish to be welcomed more in Gujarati films’

Asked about why it took her so long to return to D-Town, she says, “While I was waiting for good scripts, I didn’t have many offers either. While our industry is exploring new subjects and genres, they should also give opportunities to other actors, instead of just working with the same set of people. There is such good content being generated now, and I keep wondering why aren’t we offered any? There are actors who have done a fair bit of work and have gained national recognition, but it feels sad when we aren’t given many opportunities in our own regional industry. Having worked in television for so many years, I wish to be welcomed more in Gujarati films now and I hope to receive the same kind of love and recognition here.”
‘My TV shows came out at the right place and at the right time’
Having worked in television for almost a decade, Rashami has primarily done unconventional shows with societal messages. Was that a conscious choice? She says, “For me, the script is the most important thing. If I like the script, I’ll do it, and if I don’t, I won’t — phir chahe bahut paise bhi kyun na mil rahe ho uske liye. So, when Uttaran came along, the subject was very interesting, and people connected with it a lot. Even though Tapasya was a grey character, audiences wanted to see more of her. Similarly, during Dil Se Dil Tak, the concept of surrogacy and IVF wasn’t very popular, but it resonated with people who were experiencing it, which is why they related to Shorvari so much. I believe my shows came out at the right place and at the right time.”
'Therapy helped me grow into a stronger individual'
Reflecting on how seeking help has made her stronger, Rashami says, “I was overly committed to my work, working day and night for my shows. While people loved me as Tapasya (Uttaran) and Shorvari (Dil Se Dil Tak), it hurts when you realise they like your characters, not you. That’s when I started counselling, as I understood that achieving success is easy, but usko sambhalna over the years can be tricky. So, while I was working, I was also undergoing therapy, and that has made me a stronger individual today.” Does it become difficult to talk about it? She says, “There is nothing wrong with sharing the current, actual phase you’re going through. Shows and their shelf life are temporary — that’s something I’ve learned through very tough times in my life. I’ve realised it’s fine even if no one stands with you, as long as you stand up for yourself and have belief and faith in yourself.”
Talking about changes in viewing patterns with rise in OTT, Rashami says, "While television content has changed a bit, viewing patterns have undergone a more significant transformation — and rightly so. Post-COVID, we’ve all become accustomed to watching shorter episodes, content that can be downloaded and watched while travelling, or shows that wrap up in just a few episodes. This shift has truly spoilt us for choice."
Sharing details about her upcoming projects, she adds, "I took a year-long break to escape the monotony of everything happening in my personal and professional life. But now, I’m back with a regional movie already released and a few projects lined up across different mediums, which I will be announcing soon. Although I have been working for so long, I still haven’t reached a stage where I’m okay with not working. I want to take on more projects with talented directors and work on stories with meaningful, real content — something that brings a shaant feeling to my artiste soul."