Three years after Silence: Can You Hear It? (2021), Prachi Desai has returned with its sequel, Silence 2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout. Director Aban Bharucha Deohans’ thriller has offered many things to Desai, beginning with the opportunity to work with Manoj Bajpayee.

“Working with Manoj sir is a mix of emotions, because you are fan-girling, you are also being the co-star who is there to deliver. Sometimes, you are nervous, other times, over-enthusiastic. There is so much to absorb by just observing him,” she smiles.

Desai made a winning film debut with Rock On!! (2008), following it up with hits in Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai (2010) and Bol Bachchan (2012). However, she saw a lull in her career after Azhar (2016).

“After Azhar, a couple of my films got delayed. Then COVID hit. So, that time went by. When Silence came my way, I was happy that a female director could see that regardless of [my soft features], I could do any [role].”

From the start of her career, Desai has been tagged as the girl-next-door. ZEE5’s Silence, which sees her as a tough cop,  helped her fight that typecast. “All actors get boxed—someone is known for action, someone for comedy. Initially, you may say, ‘Why are they boxing me? I want to do so much more.’ Or you may want to embrace that and make the most out of that [phase]. But we’ll never be satisfied [being uni-dimensional].”

She credits the director for not only imagining her in an action role, but also bringing a nuanced depiction of cops. “It was important to show people that just because we are used to seeing [tough] cops on screen, that is not the only kind. Similarly, there are different kinds of actors. Just pouting doesn’t make me an actor.”