Rajshri Deshpande on inclusivity and LGBTQ rights: 'Change in thoughts and behaviour matter the most'

In her recent Marathi film Baapya, actress Rajshri Deshpande plays a trans man, a role that she says pushed her into emotional spaces and conversations that stayed with her long after the film. As Pride Month comes to an end, we revisit a conversation with the actress on gender identity, her stand for LGBTQIA rights and more.

Excerpts:'It's all about what our heart says'"During my interactions with people from the queer community, they would tell me, ‘It’s not about our body. It’s about what our mind tells us'. That's something that stayed with me when it comes to identity," says Rajshri. During an interview in 2018, the aSacred Games actor had spoken to us about why members of the community deserved equality irrespective of legal verdicts.

Nearly eight years later, she believes legal progress means little without social acceptance.

“This struggle isn’t just about what it says on a paper. It’s also about people’s thoughts. When will people’s minds change? When will their behaviour change? That’s what matters," she shares.

On portraying a trans man on screen...For Rajshri, agreeing to Baapya had less to do with the role and more to do with intention. Before signing on, she recalls asking director Sameer Tiwari why he wanted to tell this story.

“I didn’t want to do a film just to sensationalise the subject,” Rajshri says, adding, “A lot of times people think these stories are being told only for a controversial aspect. But Sameer said he wanted to make a film for every person in the family.

That empathy mattered to me.”

That sensitivity extended onto the set too. Rajshri says the crew consciously respected the identity of her character during filming, creating what she describes as a safe environment.On her battle with cancerConversations around empathy and resilience also became deeply personal for the actor over the last few years. Rajshri briefly opened up about her battle with cancer, calling it an invisible demon she was fighting. “If you sit with the problem, it eats into your mind. So, for me, it’s always been about asking, ‘Okay, what’s the next step? Let’s solve it'," says the Trial By Fire actress. The actor adds that the experience only strengthened her belief in empathy and resilience.

"The only demand is to be kind, respectful and a better, empathetic human being," she concludes.