Prachi Desai became a household name with her debut TV show Kasamh Se (2006) and later began her Bollywood journey with Rock On (2008). She followed it up with films like Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, Rock On 2, Azhar and Bol Bachchan. However, that didn’t translate into more interesting work on the big screen, but now she is back with OTT and hopes to make the most of it. In a conversation with us, she talks about the transition from TV to films, her career choices and the lack of guidance in her Bollywood journey. Excerpts:

During and after the pandemic, OTT changed everything for writers, directors, newcomers and even for actors like Manoj Bajpayee and Vijay Varma, who were known names, but their potential wasn’t fully tapped. In my case, I could have never imagined playing an undercover cop in a typical Bollywood film, but web films like Silence 1 and Silence 2 gave me the opportunity to break barriers and do something different. OTT was a breather for actors who had to wait endlessly for films to be financed and eventually released in theatres.

I was only 17 when I started doing Kasamh Se and was shooting six episodes a week. My world changed overnight when I won Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. And at 19, I was suddenly the lead actress in Rock On, opposite Farhan Akhtar. It was an incredible opportunity, but after Rock On, nobody remembered that I was a 19-year-old, and I think I got slotted in the older woman category. I came from a humble background; my parents are teachers, and people didn’t realize that unlike others, I did not grow up at parties, and neither did my dad make films. I became a victim of lazy casting. I, too, made errors in choosing the right projects as I did not have a production house or an agency guiding me. I had to make a living and establish myself in Mumbai, so I accepted what was offered to me. As a young girl, I made mistakes because I wasn’t sure what was good and what wasn’t. But if I reflect on my journey, I feel gratitude and give myself credit. Now, thanks to films like Silence on OTT, actresses like us are no longer told that female actors have a shelf life.

When I did Kasamh Se, I got a lot of love from people in India and abroad. When you receive such adulation, how do you go against it? Many people advised me that I should change my image, but I found that forced. I could never fight the image of being a TV actor. In 2006, I was at the peak of my career when I was offered these big-budget films. That’s because Farhan and Abhishek (Kapoor, director of Rock On) did not have that notion about me being overexposed. Otherwise, the casting process is quite conventional and generic in the industry. There are five names which keep circulating around and the bifurcation is made based on whether you are considered an A-list actor or a B-list actor. It is not on the basis of the role or whether you suit it.

Now, the criteria would be a finite show, which does not last more than six episodes. Back then, I was younger and had nothing to lose. But now, I have evolved and am a different person.

I have found this freedom and independence, which I am enjoying right now. When things happen, my parents will be happy, too, but I am not craving it. I am glad that whenever good things happen now, I will be a more mature person and open to it.