Rashami Desai on blocking her mother: 'My life felt over'
Synopsis
Rashami Desai didn't just open up — she laid bare nearly four years of silence with her own mother, a fear that her career was finished, and a financial precariousness she had never spoken about publicly. Her account, delivered on 'Tum Ho Naa – Ghar Ki Superstar', reframes a period many saw only from the outside.
Key Takeaways
Rashami Desai revealed she had blocked her mother and cut off all family contact during a prolonged personal crisis.
The estrangement lasted from approximately 2016 to February 2020 , ending on a reality show in front of host Salman Khan .
Only three people — Nidhi , Jeevita , and Nadeem bhai — knew her full situation during that period.
Rashami said she feared her career, personal life, and finances were all finished simultaneously.
She has since counselled 'countless women' on restarting life and owning their mistakes.
Actress Rashami Desai broke down while recounting the most painful chapter of her life on the upcoming episode of 'Tum Ho Naa – Ghar Ki Superstar', revealing that she had completely cut off her mother and all family members during a prolonged personal and professional crisis. The candid conversation, with host Rajeev Khandelwal, offers a rare, unfiltered look at the isolation and despair that gripped the actress before she found her footing again.
The Darkest Phase
Rashami described the period as one of total emotional shutdown. 'Meri mummy se koi baat-cheet nahi hoti thi, they were blocked. None of my family members I was talking to,' she said. She recalled feeling that stepping out of the reality show house would mean the end of everything — her career, her personal life, and her financial stability. 'Mere paas paise bhi utne nahi hain, na mujhe koi viraasat mein aisa kuch mila hai jis pe baith ke…' she added, her voice trailing off.
The Three People Who Stayed
During that turbulent stretch, Rashami said only three people knew her full reality — Nidhi, Jeevita, and Nadeem bhai. She credited Nadeem bhai in particular with providing crucial support when she had no one else to turn to. 'Nadeem bhai ne bohot madad ki thi,' she said, emphasising that her account of those years would remain consistent no matter when she was asked about it.
The Reunion With Her Mother
Rashami revealed that the estrangement from her mother lasted from roughly 2016 to February 2020 — a gap of nearly four years. The first conversation happened on the reality show itself, after she touched the feet of host Salman Khan in front of her mother. 'Woh pehli baar apni mom se baat hui thi,' she said, placing the reconciliation just after her birthday in February 2020. She attributed the original rift to misunderstandings and her own deeply ambitious, rebellious nature — qualities that, she said, sometimes frightened her mother.
The Lesson She Carries Forward
Reflecting on the experience, Rashami said it fundamentally reshaped how she views failure and recovery. 'Mistakes are a part of life. We make them bigger by constantly overthinking because people around us make us feel that way,' she said. She added that she has since counselled 'countless women' on the importance of owning their mistakes and restarting without shame. Notably, she framed the moment of maximum adversity — 'jab sab aapke against ho' — as the most clarifying one, because it strips away what is unnecessary and leaves only what truly matters.
What to Expect on the Show
'Tum Ho Naa – Ghar Ki Superstar' airs the episode featuring Rashami's revelations shortly. The show, hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal, has drawn attention for drawing out personal disclosures from its celebrity guests. For Rashami, who has navigated public scrutiny for years, the appearance marks one of her most open conversations on record about the period that nearly broke her.
Point of View
A precise timeline, a financial admission. That granularity is what separates a genuine reckoning from the rehearsed vulnerability that celebrity interviews often produce. What is also worth noting is the structural role reality television plays here: it was a show, and an on-camera moment with Salman Khan, that created the conditions for a mother-daughter reconciliation. That dynamic — the public spectacle as private breakthrough — says something about how Indian celebrity culture processes personal rupture.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Rashami Desai block her mother?
Rashami Desai attributed the estrangement to a combination of misunderstandings and her own rebellious, highly ambitious nature, which she said sometimes frightened her mother. The rift lasted from around 2016 to February 2020.
When did Rashami Desai reconcile with her mother?
Rashami reconciled with her mother in February 2020, just after her birthday. The first conversation happened on a reality show, in a moment involving host Salman Khan, after Rashami touched his feet in her mother's presence.
What is 'Tum Ho Naa – Ghar Ki Superstar'?
'Tum Ho Naa – Ghar Ki Superstar' is a television show hosted by actor Rajeev Khandelwal that features celebrity guests in candid personal conversations. Rashami Desai's episode, in which she makes these revelations, is set to air shortly.
What did Rashami Desai say about her career fears during that phase?
Rashami said she believed that the moment she stepped out of the reality show house, her career would be finished and her personal life would be gone. She also cited a lack of financial resources and no inherited safety net as compounding her sense of hopelessness.
What lesson did Rashami Desai take from her darkest phase?
Rashami said she learnt that mistakes are a part of life and that people tend to magnify them through overthinking. She now counsels other women to own their mistakes, speak openly about their struggles, and understand that adversity clears away what is unnecessary.
