Unrequited love stories have bigger reach: Shefali Shah

NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor Shefali Shah believes that films dealing with unrequited love leave a more visceral impact on audiences as compared to stories that have a happy end.

The 48-year-old actor, known for performances in movies such as ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ and ‘Once Again’, said people keep on thinking about such stories even after the film is over. “I feel that a film that does not end with a happy ending has a far bigger reach. It lingers on far more. Unrequited love stories have much more impact on the audiences. If ‘Romeo and Juliet’ had been happily married and had kids and dogs, I do not think it would have been a classic,” she said.

Shah added, “I feel that the most beautiful love stories are the unrequited ones as they leave a huge impact because then we are left with the feeling, ‘What if they meet again after some years or decades?’”

Shefali currently features in Netflix’s anthology movie ‘Ajeeb Daastaans’, which is set to debut on the streamer’s platform today. The movie, as its title suggests, is about the third wheel in relationships and explores complex themes of fractured relationships and human emotions such as jealousy, entitlement, prejudices and toxicity and their effects.

In the segment called ‘Ankahi’ from debutant director Kayoze Irani, Shah plays the role of Natasha, a woman going through a rough patch in her marriage with her husband, mainly due to their different approaches in dealing with their daughter, who is going through progressive hearing loss. But then she finds a companion in Kabir (Manav Kaul), a man with whom she communicates in only sign language.

“I’m a hardcore romantic. So when I was approached for this movie, I was like, ‘This is what I was looking for so many years’,” the actor said.

Shefali said people keep on thinking about such stories even after the film is over