Actress Reveals Personal Struggles with Negative Roles

The impact of typecasting and societal judgment.

Actress Deepshikha Nagpal has shared insights into the challenges she experienced throughout her career. The actress has opened up about facing harsh criticism and being typecast in roles often seen as antagonistic in films like ‘Koyla’ and ‘Baadshah’ with Shah Rukh Khan.

The Burden of Negative Roles

In a recent interview, Deepshikha discussed how portraying villainous characters led to scrutiny in her personal life. Following her role in ‘Baadshah,’ she was offered only negative roles, but she hesitated to continue due to the negative judgements she received.

“Back then, negative roles weren’t respected. ‘Yeh toh side actress hai, bure kaam karti hai’ (She’s a side actress, does bad things). You don’t want to hear that when you’re living in this society,”

—Deepshikha Nagpal

Nagpal also faced typecasting on television. Even roles with good intentions were unfairly labeled, which caused her a great deal of distress. A 2023 study found that 68% of actors report that typecasting has negatively impacted their careers (Entertainment Industry Report).

Family and Personal Struggles

Deepshikha revealed the deeper pain she felt from within her own family. After losing her parents, the actress had to endure criticism from relatives about the roles she selected. During the lockdown, she reflected on her career and how her work was not appreciated at home. She felt ashamed.

The actress shared that her daughter once broke her CDs of ‘Koyla.’ This affected her psychologically, and she felt like a failure. Nagpal learned there is no market for sorrow, so acting became her escape. It helped her heal.

Deepshikha was raised under strict rules. Describing herself as a “typical good girl” with no boyfriends, the public often judged her. The societal scrutiny deeply affected her self-image.