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?”