‘HAVE YOU HEARD OF ACTORS PULLING EACH OTHER’S HAIR?’

Shefali Shah has spent almost three decades in the film industry, infusing life into varied characters. Whether in her web show Human, alongside Kirti Kulhari, or web films Jalsa (co-starring Vidya Balan) and her latest, Darlings, with Alia Bhatt, the actor has been lauded for the camaraderie she shares with her female co-stars. But Shah admits she’s often perplexed about this notion that no two female actors can get along.

“The whole thing about women against women… I haven’t seen any of it yet. Maybe it is media hype. Have you heard of [female] actors pulling each other’s hair, or b*tching about each other? I mean, who have you heard fought like this? I really don’t know where this comes from,” she tells us.

The 49-year-old reveals there has always been a sense of unity in the industry: “When an actress does well or gets an award, it is a victory for every actress. All actresses are paving paths for each other, particularly in an industry that was once male-dominated.” Here, she is quick to point out that the industry is no longer male-dominated.

“I take immense pride in working with the women I’ve worked with till now. It has been a treat to work with them... This whole thing of two actresses fighting or having jealousy is bulls**t,” she asserts, adding, “It’s sweet that people are praising me for this (camaraderie with female co-stars), but I don’t need a medal for this. It’s the least we can do while working with each other.”

That aside, the actor is looking forward to exploring the highs and lows of a new case and unravelling a mystery in the second chapter of the web series Delhi Crime. She admits the show, which won the top prize at the International Emmy Awards 2020, will always have a special place in her heart. “My character Vartika Chaturvedi becomes a human from a hero, in this season,” she says.

Ask if the team feels any pressure to meet the audience’s expectations after delivering a hit first season, and she says, “The new season comes with a different case, a different director and a new narrative. So, trying to compare the two [seasons] is just unfair… It is not a competition with the first season. We have to make a really good show. Why should there be any comparison?”

This whole thing of two actresses fighting or having jealousy is bulls**t. SHEFALI SHAH, Actor

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ SHEFALISHAHOFFICIAL