Prachi Desai
On why she took a break from Bollywood and TV: ‘Important for me to reinvent’
Actor Prachi Desai has taken considerable breaks from her on-screen appearances. The actor, who became one of the first women actors to have a successful career on television as well as in Bollywood, rose to fame with films like Rock On (2008) and Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010), among others, has now spoken about what made her go on these mini-sabbaticals.
Prachi said, “I particularly don’t have boxes that I have to tick with every role. As I started working so young, it was important at some point for me to realise that there is a kind of reinvention required, because getting repetitive is something I would not enjoy.”
The Kasam Se actor said that she “started on a quest to look out for new roles and new scripts” when she was finally offered Silence… Can You Hear It? a murder mystery, which sees her playing a cop.
“There was a phase in my career when I felt I need to reinvent. Also, it came from a belief that I can do something else and not just stick to what I have been doing year after and year. I started on a quest to look out for new roles but it took time for something like Silence… to come my way,” the 32-year-old said.
She said if one needs to reignite their career, they don’t need a magnum-opus. In her words, “It doesn’t have to be a magnum-opus to realise that you need a change in your career but even simple characters can bring that shift.”
The Azhar actor was kicked to be on-board Silence… Can You Here It?, which stars Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role.
The actor, who calls herself sucker for thrillers, quipped, “This is the kind of role I have been waiting for. When this film came to me, Aban Deohans (director) told me that she wanted me to play a cop. When I started reading the script, I knew I had to do this. I always wanted to work with a woman director and how could I miss out on the opportunity to work with Manoj Bajpayee? So, for me, this is a perfect OTT debut.” The film, which will stream on ZEE5, will also star Arjun Mathur as an antagonist. The actor, who is not new to thriller genre, spoke about how his role is different to what he has done before. The Made In Heaven actor also expressed that he feels female directors “have brought out the best in me.” “I particularly enjoy working with women directors. Even though this particular genre doesn’t require female gaze as such, I do believe female directors have brought out the best in me. There is a certain sensitivity and nuance that I think they are better at capturing. Of course, never before I had the chance to work with Manoj sir. He takes the onus to keep the atmosphere light. He really stood out for me,” the actor said. Silence… Can You Hear It? is yet another film releasing on an OTT platform. Talking about the digital space, Manoj Bajpayee said, “OTT platform is like an ocean. ”He emphasised that the platform “is a treasure where everyone will find something for themselves”. He added that “nothing average works on OTT.”
Wrapping up, Bajpayee also narrated a funny incident that happened when he was shooting Aks with Amitabh Bachchan. On being asked whose silence has affected the Satya star, Manoj replied, “I was most affected with Amitabh Bachchan’s silence. I was shooting for Aks with him. He asked me, ‘how was the shot.’ I said, ‘We should do one more.’ He looked at me and kept staring for a while. And I thought I have committed the biggest crime of my life. He replied, ‘Ok, what was wrong in this one?’ I said, ‘We can do another shot.’ He stared again. So, you feel completely thrown out. He can actually make you go through 1000 emotions in silence.”