30 September,2026 03:45 PM IST | Mumbai | Shruti Sampat
Rashami Desai (Pic/Instagram)
After an eight-year hiatus from television, Rashami Desai is back and she is clear about what she did not want from her comeback. The actor returns with Sayoneee, playing Maya, an ambitious entrepreneur and mother whose life changes after a tragedy brings her face-to-face with the daughter she had lost. In an exclusive conversation with mid-day, Rashami opened up about choosing a show that moves beyond the typical kitchen drama, the changing portrayal of women on television and why some long-running shows need to know when to end.
For Rashami, Maya had to be distinct from her real-life persona. "You will see Maya and not Rashami. It's way too different than my own personality," she said. The character is a practical, ambitious woman who knows exactly what she wants. "She's very practical and very bossy. She has a very clear vision. Her company has to create a great position in the market," she added.
The actor says it was the show's premise that drew her back to television. Unlike the conventional daily soaps she has been part of, Sayonee gives its characters individual journeys. "This is not a daily soap. It's not a kitchen drama," she said. The fact that Maya is unaware she has a child was among the elements that intrigued her.
Rashami believes television is finally catching up with the changing realities of women. "These days, women are very progressive. They want to work, they want to make their identity," she said. She pointed out that women today want careers, businesses and an identity of their own, even after marriage and motherhood.
According to her, that shift is also visible in television narratives. "Even our shows are changing," she said, pointing out that female characters are increasingly shown balancing work and home. "They want to show today's women. She's working, she's taking care of the house, she's the CEO."
However, Rashami feels the industry still has some catching up to do when it comes to women and ageing. "They think at the age of 30, women have grown old. I think it's a problem in men," she said, questioning why female actors are expected to remain conventionally beautiful rather than being allowed to mature on screen. "They don't accept them growing old," she said, adding, "Women should be sensible also. Women are more intelligent. Women have more power also. Women can do a lot of things. But they don't want to show it."
The actor is equally candid about one of television's most popular shows, Anupamaa. While praising its initial storytelling, Rashami feels the show has now become stagnant. "Don't ruin it, make it historic," she said, suggesting that the makers introduce a fresh chapter instead of stretching the existing storyline for years.
Rashami also has no qualms about acknowledging her own evolution. "I think I look better now," she said, recalling that she was "very skinny" earlier in her career. "I feel like I look more graceful and more better now," she added. For Rashami, then, returning to television is less about revisiting the past and more about stepping into stories that reflect the woman she believes audiences see around them today.
