New Delhi:
The 2018 Netflix series Sacred Games was a massive hit. While the cast was applauded for their performances, a controversy broke out on the sidelines that wasn’t particularly tasteful.
Rajshri Deshpande tasted her first commercial success with the hit show. She essayed the role of Subhadra, the independent and extremely supportive Muslim wife of gangster Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazzuddin Siddiqui). But what unfortunately became a topic of discussion was a nude intimate scene she shot with Nawazzuddin Siddiqui.
The actress has spoken several times about the images that were tampered with and circulated, even ending up on porn sites. She was also called a “porn star” after it went viral.
Revisiting such painful memories can be disturbing, but the feisty actress puts it simply, “I have moved on. I am tired of talking about it.”
Rajshri Deshpande On Why She Wants To Move Past The Sacred Games Controversy
Rajshri Deshpande tells NDTV, “There are many other issues to handle now. There is much more work to be addressed and worked on-so many more stories to tell, so many more characters to carry with me. So if the media wants to keep on talking… the headline is still the ‘Sacred Games’ actor. Media is just stuck there.”
She continues, “Yeh mere saath hi nahi har ek achhe actors ke saath hota hai. (Not just me, it happens with a lot of good actors). So it’s okay, the media is still writing the same old thing. We still want to go and talk about it because they think that this is where people recognise her and even like I build schools but the headline will be Sacred Games actor. They want to portray it that way and it’s okay.”
Rajshri Deshpande had bravely called out the deep-rooted sexism in the industry, reiterating how the criticism she dealt with for Sacred Games was a lot greater compared with the male co-actors or creators of the show. She defended the scene, emphasising why the script and storytelling demanded it.
Did The Success Of Sacred Games Impact Rajshri Deshpande’s Fee?
The 43-year-old actress tells us about the importance of ‘filtering out’ the opportunities that come an actor’s way.
She says, “It’s not just because of the money, but it’s because of the kind of content it is. I’ve always chosen content over other areas. So my choices are fewer anyway. Working for the community is more important to me. So being there and being in any networking space or meeting people all the time is hardly what I do. So if people are casting me, they cast me based on my last work.”
But is she shy to ask for what she deserves?
Rajshri Deshpande adds, “I don’t shy away. But it’s a very difficult place till today, when sometimes your followers, your fame, how you project yourself that you’re a star, that matters for people. Sometimes I’ve seen that people have just done one film and they come on set and they demand better things in a very stern way and they get it. I don’t have an EMI on my head, or I don’t have a big house. I don’t spend tons of money on PR or a cruise. I have to earn money to pay my bills. I’m very minimalistic in life.
She continues, “I don’t have an entourage to work with me. But it’s unfortunate that it makes a difference. A lot of times people do see you differently. Like in an award function, you walk with an entourage and you pay money through PR to the paparazzi, you will be bombarded with pictures. In the same award function, you are getting an award. Nobody will ask you if you’re working alone.”
But the actress shares her wise learning that it’s all okay, because “you have decided that this is how you want it.”
What’s Next For Rajshri Deshpande
Rajshri Deshpande’s Marathi film Baapya released on May 15. She essayed the character of a trans man in the film.
Last year, she appeared in Mani Ratnam’s 2025 film Thug Life, which featured Kamal Haasan, Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Ashok Selvan in major roles.
Rajshri Deshpande began her Hindi film career with a minor role in the 2012 movie Talaash.
She later appeared on television in shows like Kuch Toh Log Kahenge and 24: India. After returning to films with a supporting role in Salman Khan’s Kick, she earned strong critical praise for her performance in Sacred Games, which brought her wider visibility.
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