Prachi Desai is back on the circuit after almost four years. The actor believes that the break, though unplanned, was necessary as it afforded her the chance to reassess her career. “I started working so young, and then came a point where I needed to reinvent myself. [I was feeling limited because] at the end of the day, you have to pick from the choices that you have. Now, I want to do a variety of roles. So, I let go of many projects that came my way. The wait for the right role was worth it,” she says.

Her search for a compelling role ended with Aban Bharucha Deohans’s directorial venture, Silence: Can You Hear It?, which sees her playing a cop. To Desai, it’s not surprising that it took a woman director to offer her a character far removed from her girl-next-door roles. “I am glad that someone decided to offer me a cop’s role. When I was given the brief, I asked, ‘Are you sure?’ It’s amazing that she came to me with a fresh perspective because usually people consider you for a role basis the parts you have essayed before. So, it took a female director’s debut to see me in a new light.” Another incentive was that the film gave her a chance to work with Manoj Bajpayee.

Having been part of television and films, Desai is upbeat about foraying into digital entertainment with the ZEE5 film. “OTT has been an eye-opener for a lot of people. In films, too many industry insiders have been churning out the same content over and over again, making it repetitive.”