‘PEOPLE NOW TRUST I CAN CARRY AN ENTIRE PROJECT’
Shefali Shah is happy with the recognition her role in a web series has brought and feels the film industry is changing, too
People love the kind of work that I did. If despite you being in a particular age group, they look at you as the central character, then it’s great.
SHEFALI SHAH ACTOR
Juhi Chakraborty
She is a National Awardwinning actor and has given memorable performances over the years, but it was the web series Delhi Crime that put Shefali Shah in the spotlight like never before. Her portrayal of a police officer earned widespread acclaim and the actor says perception about her as an actor has also taken a positive turn.
“They (makers) can now take the chance of putting an entire show or entire project on my shoulder. They can now trust that I’ll be able to deliver and keep the audience engaged. People love the kind of work that I did. I’m hoping it translates into a lot more of this kind of work. If despite you being in a particular age group, they look at you as the central character, then it’s great. That’s what I’m looking at,” shares Shefali.
The 47-year-old has an
enviable filmography, having been a part of projects such as Satya (1998), Monsoon Wedding (2001), 15 Park Avenue (2005), Black and White (2008) and Dil Dhadakne Do (2015). But she feels the web medium has given actors, writers and directors a lot more scope for creative expression and experiments.
“We can look at my short film Juice (2017) or web film Once Again (2018) and it is proof that people are ready to see me as the central character. If it’s a theatrical film, there would be the worry of the box office result. Then a certain actor would be cast, instead of me,” she explains.
Shefali also feels it is tough to keep the audience engaged in a web series in comparison to a film. “An eight-hour project like Delhi Crime puts a huge responsibility on me. It is easier to sustain an audience for two-three hours,” she asserts.
However, the actor, who has two web projects lined up in 2020, does not have any complaints about the film industry as she feels things are also drastically changing there. “I’m sure that every filmmaker wants the best actor for the job but then the saleability factor comes into play. That does not happen on the web. At the same time there are films like Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016), Tunhari Sulu (2017), Badhaai Ho (2018) and Article 15 (2019),” she adds.