Glad directors now trust me with lead roles: Shefali Shah

Hyderabad: Shefali Shah has been weaving magic on the screen since the 90s and has almost never failed to impress the audience with her hard-hitting performances. The actor, known for films such as ‘Rangeela’, ‘Satya’, ‘Waqt’, ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ and ‘The Last Lear’, and the Emmy nominated Netflix series ‘Delhi Crime’, has once again nailed […]

Hyderabad: Shefali Shah has been weaving magic on the screen since the 90s and has almost never failed to impress the audience with her hard-hitting performances. The actor, known for films such as ‘Rangeela’, ‘Satya’, ‘Waqt’, ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ and ‘The Last Lear’, and the Emmy nominated Netflix series ‘Delhi Crime’, has once again nailed her role as Ruksana in the latest Amazon Prime Video release ‘Jalsa’, in which she stars with actor Vidya Balan. “OTT has been a blessing for creators and the audience,” shared Shefali.

The film has been getting great reviews, all thanks to flawless performances from Shefali and Vidya, and, of course, Suresh Triveni’s direction. In an exclusive chat with ‘Telangana Today’, Shefali shared, “I cannot tell you how excited I am to be a part of ‘Jalsa’ – I woke up with palpitations the day the film was releasing. I am proud of the film and I cannot wait for everyone to watch it.”

---

Giving us an insight into the storyline, Shefali shared, “‘Jalsa’ is one accident that alters the lives of many people who are connected directly or indirectly to it. It is not just a story of two mothers, but a story of conflicts between people and also within themselves. It is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that will make you question your own morality. I would call it a ‘human drama’ and by far the best film I’ve seen in my career.”
Even after all these years, Shefali feels nervous every time she walks onto a set. She never goes to shoot with an attitude that she knows everything, but prefers to think of each day as her first day. Stepping into the role of Ruksana who is raw and honest was a bit challenging for Shefali.

On working with Vidya for the first time, Shefali shared, “Vidya is a treat to work with. I was hoping I could work with her someday because I admire her as an actor and as a person. I was jumping with joy when I got to know we were co-starring in ‘Jalsa’. Although we don’t have many scenes together, the entire shoot was intense. I play the role of Vidya’s character Maya Menon’s cook and both the characters are polarising. We couldn’t have much fun on the sets, but we had a ball during the promotions of the film.”

Reflecting on her entire journey in the film industry, Shefali says, “I think the phrase ‘slow and steady wins the race’ describes it aptly. It has taken a long time to reach where I have reached and for filmmakers to trust me to cast in lead roles. I’m glad and grateful for everything.”

Shefali, who is known to be choosy with scripts, shot for six projects last year and they are lined up to release this year. On what she does when she’s not shooting, the 49-year-old concluded, “I am a film and series buff and I enjoy reading as well. I would love to chill out with my friends more often but I’m tired most of the time. My ideal way of chilling would be to switch off my brain and do nothing, but that hardly happens.”