It’s almost as if Shefali Shah can take no misstep in 2022. After brilliant performances in Human and Jalsa, the actor is currently basking in the praise coming her way for Darlings. And she is not done yet. Next week, she will be seen reprising her role of DCP Vartika Chaturvedi in the second season of Delhi Crime — a series that was a game-changer for her. “When Delhi Crime released, Vartika became larger than life. I hadn’t expected that. So, when I am stepping into her shoes again, it’s scary as sh*t,” she begins.

Taking forward a show that won the Best Drama Series at the 2020 International Emmy Awards isn’t easy. The audience’s expectations from the second instalment, which sees showrunner Tanuj Chopra pick up the baton from Richie Mehta, are understandably sky-high. “The first season was about a case that shook the entire nation, and people across the globe. The two seasons are made by different creators and directors. It’s unfair to compare the editions. We decided to go out and make a kicka** show; we did not try to [emulate] the first season,” she explains.

While the first edition of the Netflix offering revolved around the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case, the upcoming instalment focuses on the notorious Kachcha Baniyan gang that operated in north India. The gang — so-called since the members would wear underclothes while committing the crimes — would break into homes for robbery and brutally beat people to death if they resisted. “It’s a fictionalized version of what happened. There was a lot of research done [about the attacks], and it reflects in the script.”

A new case demands a new perspective. Shah, who is joined by cast regulars Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang and Adil Hussain, says that her character has undergone a dramatic shift. “Now, Vartika has become her own person. In the opening season, there was no question of her moral compass wavering. Now, she is facing moral dilemmas. She became a hero in the first season, she is human now. She is flawed, makes mistakes, and doesn’t shy away from apologizing. When she tries to tell someone that their loved one is no more, she feels the pain. But at the same time, she cannot give out too much information. She cannot let her emotions overpower her duty.”