I have been cheated: Rashmi Gautam

Rashmi Gautam became a household name as she anchored the popular television show Jabardasth. This is not her first time in front of the camera, as she has acted in a few Telugu films earlier.

Born and brought up in Visakhapatnam, Rashmi was always interested in films. “I never really tried, but I always wanted to appear on screen —  whether it’s the big screen or television. I was active in my school’s cultural programmes and that’s how I got an offer to act in a film. I love to act and I love being in front of the camera, irrespective of the medium,” says Rashmi.

“I made my debut at a very young age when I knew nothing about the industry. Moreover, I came from Vizag to Hyderabad which was difficult. Nor did I get good offers,” she adds.

Rashmi has been mostly seen as the second female lead in films. “Some people narrated a good story and offered a good role. But when it came to shooting, they did something else and after the film’s release, my role was totally cut out. I was cheated many times,” she says. However, Rashmi has now been offered a good role in Guntur Talkies directed by Praveen Sattaru. “I am playing Suvarna, a village girl who lives in the slums. It’s a very good film as it’s dominated by the story. I hope this film will change the scenario in Telugu cinema. I personally feel that many producers should come up with these kind of small films with different ideas,” says Rashmi.

“Now, I have learnt from my mistakes. I am not accepting whatever comes to me. If my role is short, it should be a highlight or a strong character to establish the story. I don’t want to be the friend of the lead actress,” says Rashmi. The actress has now also signed up for three Tamil films.

Actually, actress Sangeeta spotted her at a dance show and introduced her to Tamil cinema. “Tamil cinema is completely different from Telugu. There, the script is bigger than anyone. They don’t change the script even for big actors once they finalise it. They look at only talent and if you act well, they offer good roles. Also, most of the films are more real,” says Rashmi.

The actress has  also done  a Kannada film and a few Hindi films. “It’s not easy to go to Mumbai and try in Hindi films. So now I am looking for more South films,” she says.

Interestingly, Rashmi refrains from talking about her parents. “I don’t want to mention their names or their profession. They live in Vizag,” she says. Talking about rumours, she says she never takes them seriously. “Once you become a celebrity, people write many things. They have even written that I have been married three times to three different people!  All are baseless rumours and I never react to false news,” she says. Rashmi is clear about the fact that she won’t marry a person from the industry.