Directors today have confidence in me to carry a film or show: Shefali Shah

 Mumbai: Shefali Shah is having a glorious run in her acting career with author-backed roles and the celebrated actor says she is happy that she’s ”finally” getting to play leads or parallel leads in shows and movies. Shah, whose past work credit includes TV shows such as “Banegi Apni Baat”, “Hasratein”, films like “Satya”, “Gandhi, My Father”, “The Last Lear”, “Dil Dhadakne Do”, said she has acted in six projects in the last year, something that has never happened in her career before.

”All the roles that I have done (now) are leads or parallel leads. The kind of scripts, roles that I am offered, the confidence that directors have in me that she can carry a show or film on her shoulder, the fact that writers-directors want to write stuff with me in mind, it has really changed for me, finally,” the actor told PTI in a zoom interview.

“It is great for an actor, who has been waiting for this kind of work that now there are roles and characters written like that,” she said.

Shah has emerged as the go-to actor for playing a woman of substance in projects such as “Once Again”, “Delhi Crime”, “Ajeeb Daastaans” and “Human” and the actor credits it to her ability to become one with the character during a performance.

“I become the character and whatever she feels, I feel. I love it thoroughly because there is so much more to a person, to their mind, soul, heart, every person is different from another. It is so intriguing that it pushes you to question, discover, explore and express. I thrive on this.” Another important aspect for her is to have good memories once a project is over, the actor said.

”I am miserable when a shoot of a project is over,” Shah said, adding, “I feel like I won’t be getting to do this, I won’t be seeing these people from tomorrow. I am totally lost.” In her upcoming feature “Jalsa”, Shah will once again be seen in a strong role alongside powerhouse actor Vidya Balan and she described the movie as human-centric and women-centric.

The drama-thriller, directed by Suresh Triveni of “Tumhari Sulu” fame, features Balan as a journalist Maya, a character with shades of grey.

Shah said she was instantly attracted to the script, director and her character of a cook at Balan’s house named Ruksana, who is a complex and extremely layered person.

”She takes pride in calling herself a cook. She has aspirations, she wants to give her children a better life and she will go to any length to protect them,” she said.

Speaking of Balan, Shah said, she admires the national award-winning actor as a person and as an actor.

“As a woman, she is so comfortable in her own space, she is confident, appreciative and warm. I wish I could be confident and comfortable in my space, I am not. I admire her tremendously.” “Jalsa” will debut on Prime Video on March 18 and Shah said the best part of releasing a film or a show on OTT is that it will be there for posterity. “If a film releases in theatres, its fate is decided over the weekend. That doesn’t happen on OTT. If people do not watch on OTT on the weekend, it doesn’t make the film hit or flop, people will watch it, it is for posterity,” Shah said, adding, the platform has also broken the shackles of the star system.

Actors Manav Kaul, Rohini Hattangadi, Iqbal Khan, Vidhatri Bandi, Shrikant Mohan Yadav, Shafeen Patel, and Surya Kasibhatla round out the cast of “Jalsa”.

It is produced by T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment.