Rajshri Deshpande is currently seen as Shobha Trivedi (the investigating cop) in Netflix's The Fame Game. She has also acted in Sacred Games. She speaks exclusively to The Free Press Journal about her career, humanitarian causes, and more.
Opening up about her beginnings and career pathway, she shares, “I come from a small town, Aurangabad, where living a typical society protocol of life was life. But I deconstructed that and moved out exploring my life. I’m an erstwhile law and advertising professional. I then subsequently trained in acting, filmmaking, Kathakali, sword fighting and Kalaripayattu. From being a trained actor to working in critically acclaimed movies and web series. I’ve been taking one step at a time, trying to build a body of work that I shall be proud of till the time I am alive.”
The actress is closely associated with quite a few humanitarian causes. “Aligning myself to humanitarian causes gives me a sense of completion. I work for 30 villages in Marathwada, where till now I built three schools, apart from working on many ground issues during Covid-19. I believe in a holistic approach in villages to make them self-sustainable,” she explains.
Rajshri is all praise for Madhuri Dixit, who plays the actress Anamika Anand she is hunting for in The Fame Game. “Madhuri is not only complete with her grace, skill and humility, but it’s like being a part of a master class of the craft. We didn’t share a single frame together as I was searching for her throughout the show, but when I was thinking about Anamika somewhere, I was thinking about Madhuri Dixit, the star too. How she must have managed to stay so grounded in such a volatile and tough industry. How she managed to stay one of the most respected, number one star and graceful throughout her career because the industry can make you bitter if not handled properly. There is so much to learn from her,” she gushes.
When asked if she’s ever had any uncomfortable moments in the world of glitz and glamour, Rajshri says, “Working in the glamour world is not easy, but it’s the same in each and every field across the globe. Yes, because the glamour world comes with glamour, so there is truth somewhere. But things are changing. We have the best of the people working in the industry who respect this profession. The working guidelines are strong now, so it has become a safe space. I cannot say 100 per cent because we still have many issues which need to see the light of the day. But one step has been taken. People are speaking up. And hopefully, soon, we will have a better workspace.”
On a parting note, we probe if she has any limitations while performing intimate scenes on screen. “When a director and writer writes the journey of a character where two characters have an intimacy, then it’s that character’s journey they are portraying, not Rajshri’s. And if it’s sensibly and sensitively handled, well written, well shot, and if it’s important to the storyline, then I don’t mind being part of that story. I love to work with every talented actor who respects people. I am glad and fortunate that whatever little work I have done in my life, I met sensible and hardworking people,” she concludes.
