Prachi Desai opens up about facing disrespect from prominent filmmakers

By: Mohnish Singh

Prachi Desai was one of the leading faces on Indian television when she decided to leave the small screen and branch out to films. Her debut show Kasamh Se, produced by Ekta Kapoor under the banner of Balaji Telefilms, had made her a household name in India.

Creating your own space in an industry as competitive as Bollywood was not an easy task for Desai. In a recent interview, she opened up about how certain filmmakers disrespected her and how she always gave a wide berth to sexist films. The actress also spoke about how her declining run-of-the-mill roles formed a negative impression about her in the industry.

“I have never wanted to work in films that are sexist. And in this industry, I have fought with this notion for a long time. All that people wanted me to be was hot,” Desai told a leading Indian daily.

She went on to add, “The feedback I got from several male producers and directors was that I had to work on being hot. So, I picked less work and I chose to stay away. I said no to some big, but very sexist films.”

Recalling her harrowing experience of dealing with some prominent filmmakers who were not used to being turned down, she said, “I could not possibly give the nod to a film like that. I dealt with this for two years before deciding to not put up with it anymore. The notion that others developed was that I was not interested. Word spread, and some people merely on hearsay did not approach me.”

Prachi Desai was most recently seen in the ZEE5 Original Silence… Can You Hear It? (2021). Also starring Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role, the film received good response from critics and viewers.

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