It can often be a daunting task for an actor to get into the skin of a character they are portraying on screen. Actor Shefali Jariwala faced similar challenges while prepping for her recent web show, Ratri Ke Yatri 2, where she plays the role of a sex worker. To get the nuances of the character right, she met and interacted with several sex workers — an experience that she calls eye-opening for many reasons.

“Before doing this project, I had preconceived notions about sex workers. I used to judge them because I thought what they did was dirty, just like people who think, ‘Ganda kaam hai, gande log hain’. But that is very wrong and untrue,” she says, adding, “Interacting with several of them and hearing their stories changed my perspective significantly. The whole process was very tragic for me and took me to a very dark place.”

Getting so invested in their lives, the actor admits, meant that it became difficult for her to come out of that zone long after the project got over.

“I cannot explain what I felt and how their stories and struggles affected me mentally and emotionally. I had no idea how to switch it off,” she shares.

Now that she has played this intense character, the 39-year-old acknowledges that it has helped bring her acting prowess to the limelight.

“The project helped me prove the potential that I hold as an actor. After this, people started taking me seriously. Now, they are able to imagine me in non-glamorous roles. Previously, they would only offer me characters where I would have to be a bimbette or a good dancer. But, now I am getting calls for good projects. I have already shot for three shows with characters that are complex and interesting... I am hungry and greedy for good roles, and I’m glad I’m finally getting to do them,” she concludes.