Rajshri Deshpande refuses to rest on her laurels even after earning plaudits for her performance in the 2023 Netflix series Trial by Fire. The actress, who also featured in Angry Indian Goddesses and Sacred Games, recently chatted with The Telegraph Online about the craft of acting and the need to see it through the prism of life.

2023 has been a great year for you. How do you look back?

Rajshri Deshpande: I am really grateful. It’s so difficult to define this year. I have travelled a lot. The whole of 2021 and 2022 were about surviving, but 2023 was about exploring, evolving. It was all about understanding myself — what I like, how I want to see my work and my thought process. The amount of hard work I had put into my first play when I was in Class 7 kept that artist alive in me. It’s about validation of what I chose to do. You always want to reach a table or a certain place. Even though I am still learning, I feel I am part of that space now,

What’s your process of choosing roles and scripts?

Rajshri Deshpande: Honestly, I was choosing my roles even after Angry Indian Goddesses. When you read a lot, you work in a particular direction. The choice becomes whether you want to be part of it or not. I was okay not doing a project than feeling bad about doing it. There was a phase where I was working for an ad agency. I thought money would bring happiness. I worked as per clients’ needs. Choices were limited.

I want to be somewhere where I am evolving, learning and gaining something. I have always gone ahead to find my tribe with whom I want to be associated and learn. And because of my non-profit work (Rajshri’s NGO Nabhangan Foundation), I must give my energy there as well. I have a minimal life.

Coming to scripts, they must surprise and challenge me about things that I have not read or heard about. I want to explore realism even in a fantasy world. I love to observe people. An actor is never on a holiday — we watch, read and keep taking notes. That’s why I would feel glad if a script deconstructs me.

How do you break the myth when people perceive you as a serious person because of the roles you have done?

Rajshri Deshpande: I know… seriously! (laughs) I do mimicry. I am a nautanki. (laughs) I am a full-on party starter. Life is full of emotions. I want to play every aspect of life.

We learnt that you haven’t signed anything after Trial by Fire…

Rajshri Deshpande: Honestly, I haven’t. I am looking for something different and challenging. I am reading a couple of things. I don’t mind being slow.

Most of the young actors want to make it big really fast and they are working overtime to achieve it. You stress a lot on empathy. What’s your approach to life?

Rajshri Deshpande: There was a time 10 years back when everyone said that I must be here and keep giving auditions. I did give a lot of auditions, but I never kept my life aside. I feel I can also learn through my journeys and my experiences with my family and friends. I used to go to Kerala to learn Kathakali and Kalaripayattu and then come back and give auditions. It’s not like you must be there all the time. One shouldn’t miss out on life.

Do you feel, by doing this, you can improve your craft?

Rajshri Deshpande: You can evolve when you are empty. If you fill up the vessel, you won’t be able to perform. I keep telling people to do something different from their professional roles. Take breaks and don’t stretch yourself. Opportunities won’t go away. If one thing isn’t going right, something else will. It can better the craft.

When you meet people, your mind enriches, and you learn about yourself. That’s the biggest learning. I have been working with on-ground farmers. I travel a lot. I travelled to meet my school friends. I like observing everything.

In one of your Instagram posts, you mentioned that no good casting director picks actors based on their designer clothes, so one shouldn’t spend on unnecessary things for social media validation and instead should spend on learning to get their craft ready. Where did that feeling generate from?

Rajshri Deshpande: My priorities are set. I have also gone through that phase — I am not denying it. It’s necessary to dress up. Stylists, makeup artists and hairdressers make you look beautiful, but you must understand your priorities. I do little work, so I must save for my rainy days. When I am not working, I am constantly seeking another good project for me. There are a lot of people who get stuck that their followers aren’t increasing and they want to be a part of everything. They should understand that social media is based on complete filter space. We shouldn’t take it seriously.

Anybody can be an actor. One must understand and learn the craft. They shouldn’t cast someone for the PR game. It affects mental health. I do a bit of counselling. I see people getting conscious of the smallest things like having a pimple or not having a certain desired height.

Where do we see you next?

Rajshri Deshpande: There’s a Marathi film that I shot six years back. I play the social reformer Savitribai Phule (one of the first female teachers in India to work on the improvement of women’s rights in India) in that movie. It’s another biopic. The producers have got the courage to release it in the theatres now. I have another show on Prime Video, which I had shot before Trial by Fire. I hope to have a lot of shooting time in 2024.