Tina Desai calls out assumption culture in Bollywood about Indian actors working in the west

Actor Tina Desai says it wasn’t a choice for her to not do projects in India, but she was busy with international projects.

Tina Desai has been absent from the Indian scene for a while now. But, the Table No.21 (2013) actor has built a rich repertoire of work in the West, with projects such as Sense8 and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel franchise.

Tina Desai stars in the recently released series, Mumbai Diaries 26/11.

“I have not chosen to not work here,” she asserts and adds, “After Table, I got Marigold and after that I got Sense8 which meant that I was busy for five-and-half-years post Table. Unfortunately, the pandemic also came and took away a year and a half, which is why the long absence. But, I was working.”

Desai did come to India between her shoots, but for just three-four months, and that wasn’t enough time to do work meeting, get selected for a project and shoot.

“It does not work out that way. Perhaps a more established actor could work it out, but that was not the case with me. I am still someone who had done just Table…I had to go through a proper selection process,” she explains.

“There are so many people I had meetings with and they are like, ‘Oh you are back? I though you relocated.’ But I have my family here and it is my home, my city, where I started out. Why would I not want to do something here? Why will I give up the Indian film industry? There is a problem but now I have an agency which is telling people that I am here,” she shares.

Desai is waiting for the momentum of her career in India to pick up with her upcoming slate which includes a web series and the film, Bob Biswas.

“I am back here and I have done three projects, so let’s see what happens,” she ends.