Rajshri Deshpande has described her breast cancer diagnosis as a turning point that made her reassess the way she looked after herself. The actor, who was diagnosed with Grade 1 breast cancer in March, said the experience encouraged her to prioritise self-love and address the mental strain she had accumulated while balancing acting with her work in rural development. In a recent interview, she shared that the diagnosis came as a “wake-up call” to go back to loving herself. As she continues on her road to recovery, Deshpande is focusing on her passions and has also enrolled in a course at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Rajshri Deshpande on the ‘wake-up call’
Reflecting on how the diagnosis shifted her perspective, Deshpande said to Mid Day, “I loved myself all these years. I was always a fearless person. But somewhere you forget [self-love]. For me, it was a wake-up call that I was stressing myself mentally.”Besides acting, Deshpande works towards rural development through her non-profit organisation, Narbhangan Foundation. She admitted that the stress accompanying this social work had taken a toll on her over the years. “Sometimes you are dealing with an issue and thinking about it. Carrying it [within] hurts you,” she said.
Rajshri Deshpande on making time for herself and her passions
Taking care of herself and making time for her passions is now her top priority, something reflected in her decision to enrol in a course at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. “I’m glad that God and my parents’ love gave me another chance to live. I want to do more. If you don’t dream or hope, dance and sing or scream, what else is important?” Deshpande said.
Rajshri Deshpande’s recent workfront
On the professional front, 2025 kept Deshpande busy across formats. She was seen as Pratibha Sen in the Netflix series, ‘Black Warrant’ and as Naina Johri in the Amazon Prime Video series ‘Rangeen’. She was last seen in ‘Baapya’, a Marathi comedy-drama written and directed by Sameer Tewari. Set in coastal Konkan, the film follows the return of Shailaja, who had left the village as Shailesh before undergoing gender reassignment surgery. Her unexpected return disrupts the lives of her family and the close-knit community, forcing them to confront questions of identity, acceptance and social norms, with Deshpande playing both Shailaja and Shailesh.
