Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; January 26, 2019)

For Shefali Shah, the size of the screen or the format of the medium has never mattered. What really counts is the depth of the character offered to her, which explains why she has been shuttling between mediums over the years. She started off playing strong roles on television, and eventually, moved to the big screen. Currently, she’s excited about fronting Delhi Crime Story, an independent seven-part TV series, which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The show depicts the investigation, headed by a female DCP, in the Nirbhaya rape case. Shefali plays DCP Vartika in this show which is part-fact-part-fiction. In a chat with BT, Shefali spoke about her role in the show, the #MeTooIndia movement, and her work as an artiste that has never been restricted to a medium. Excerpts...

‘WHEN YOU PLAY A REAL CHARACTER, YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THE TRUTH AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED’
While we know a lot about the Nirbhaya case, with this show, director Richie Mehta has tried to put the spotlight on an aspect that not many are aware of. Shefali says, “It was a female DCP, who made it her personal mission to find the men who committed one of the most heinous crimes of modern-day India. When you play a real character, you have to respect the truth and the people involved. Yes, you add your bit to make the part real, but you also have to be sensitive to detail and be precise in your depiction.

She adds, “For instance, when we were shooting the interrogation scenes, the Shefali in me wanted to rip the criminal apart for harming a woman, and that too, so brutally. But I know that the DCP who investigated the case didn’t do that. She played it by the book because she knew that it was the only way to seek justice for the girl. So, I had to control my emotions while playing her.”

Having said that, Shefali also feels that on numerous occasions, it was found that women had falsely accused men of rape, but they never faced the consequence. She shares, “That is not fair. Such cases also made headlines at that time. People should act sensitively and responsibly about these things; don’t trivialise it.”

‘SOME WOMEN ARE MAKING A MOCKERY OF THE #METOO MOVEMENT BY USING IT TO SETTLE SCORES’
While talking about gender equality and sensitivity, Shefali is also candid about the on-going #MeTooIndia movement, which reached her door-step, too. Her husband, filmmaker Vipul Shah, was accused by actress Elnaaz Norouzi of sexual harassment. The matter is being looked into by the ICC of the IFTDA (Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association), on Vipul’s request. Shefali says, “A lot of women have suffered atrocities for years, and it’s incredible that they are finding a voice now. They are being heard, but it’s also appalling that so many women are using this movement as a PR tool to put themselves out there. That is wrong and I think they are affecting this strong and much needed movement. They are making a mockery of it by using it to settle scores. Yes, my family and I suffered in the movement. When I think of it, I feel that one allegation can destroy a man, his reputation, his career and his family can fall apart while he struggles to prove his point of view. No one wants to believe him. Women who misuse the movement should also be held accountable. Feminism is not about one-upmanship, it’s about equality. If a man is found guilty, he should be penalised, but if a woman is found to have framed a man, or just used the movement in any manner to get even, then she should face the music, too.”

‘I HAVE MADE A LOT OF WRONG CHOICES IN MY LIFE, BUT I DON’T REGRET THEM’
Shefali is known to be an artiste, who has never played by the book. She sets her own rules. For instance, she played mother to Akshay Kumar in Waqt: The Race Against Time when she was just about 30 years old and he was older than her. “I’ve always worked instinctively and that’s the reason making decisions hasn’t been difficult. I am sure I have made a lot of wrong choices in my life, but I don’t regret them. Yes, I am berated about playing mother to Akshay Kumar, but I was eager to work with Mr Bachchan and my husband in a single project. Now, when I look back, I wonder – maybe thoda jaldi ho gaya, but it’s okay. I was offered several films after Dil Dhadakne Do which were on the same lines, but I didn’t want to be a part of those,” she shares.

Talking about television, she adds, “I was lucky to have been a part of television when it had outstanding content. Today, I can’t think of being on regular TV shows. I don’t even watch them because they focus on quantity over quality. A million people change the story, kill characters and bring in new ones rapidly. There’s no consistency. If something interesting comes up, I may consider but quality of work will always matter to me.”