Shefali Shah talks about her character in Delhi Crime, Vartika Chaturvedi, as if she’s a real person. She admits that she is obsessed with Vartika, possessive about her, and genuinely believes that such a character comes only once in a lifetime. She says that the character brought her recognition and appreciation – from viewers, police officers and IPS aspirants alike. Now, she has been nominated for the International Emmy Awards for Best Performance by an Actress category for her role in Delhi Crime Season 2. In a chat with us, she decodes her favourite character that brought her the Emmy nod.

Shefali says that she has been bowled over by the appreciation her character in the series has received. Recalling an incident, she shares, “When I was shooting and was in uniform, many times I would get saluted because they didn’t know I was an actor and not a cop.”

She continues, “I was at an event somewhere outside Baroda, and the Commissioner of Police was there, who said, ‘Thank you for portraying cops the way you did because we have our own troubles and fights.’ It’s really amazing how the series touched people’s lives. I received messages, ‘I took the IPS exam and failed, but after watching Delhi Crime, I’m reappearing for it. I want to be like Vartika.’ I’m honoured.”

In an earlier interview, Shefali had said, “Vartika will be with me even when I’m old. She changed my life. What she and Delhi Crime did to my career, all these years of work had not.”

Elaborating on this, she says, “I have received appreciation, but that was not translating into the kind of work I wanted to do. Also, in films, there are heroes, heroines, and villains; they don’t know what to do with the other actors. And this was an amazing opportunity. This was a real incident (Delhi Crime Season 1 is based on the Nirbhaya case) that was very painful; a story that had to be told. And there was a director (Richie Mehta) who wanted to tell this story. This role really changed my life.”

She continues, “It was after this role that I started getting primary and central characters. Also, my way of working changed when I started working in Delhi Crime. This character really changed a lot of things. It was all thanks to Delhi Crime. It has taken me a lifetime to reach here.”

The actress says, “When I start working on a project, it’s like my first day of shooting when I started years ago. The need to excel, the urge to give it my all, hard work, passion, blood and sweat, that still exists. I never take any of it for granted. For me, every project and every time I go in front of the camera, it’s like the first day I’m doing it and I don’t know how to do it. I think the day I will know how to do it, that would be my downfall. It helps me to learn every day.”

Who does Shefali think Vartika Chaturvedi is? “Wow. (Pause) I think she is somebody who is ruthlessly honest. She is very critical, pragmatic. Even if she is burdened with her emotions, she knows how to do her job and not let emotions override what is required of her. I don’t think she is worried or scared about anything. In season 1, she is a hero; in season 2, she became human. She falters. When she falters, she has the sense to apologize. Her biggest strength is her vulnerability. She does break down, but she chooses to set her emotions aside and do her job. She has so many layers. You see a cop as a hero and you see a cop as a villain (on screen). But Vartika is very real. There is no caricature, there is no larger-than-life persona… People compare other characters with Vartika, but they don’t compare Vartika with anyone. I think that’s great. She has her own identity.”

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Actor Shefali Shah received an International Emmy nomination earlier this week. She will be contending for the Best Performance by an Actress award for her role in the second season of the web series Delhi Crime. Shah shares that she was in disbelief at first upon learning the nomination: “I couldn’t believe it. I went, ‘Are you serious?’”

Shah, who portrayed the character of tough cop Vartika Chaturvedi in both seasons, goes on to express her deep attachment to the series, stating: “I am very possessive about this show. Whether it’s creative satisfaction or love, this show keeps giving (back).”

With a string of successful projects in the recent past, such as Darlings (2022) and Human, to her credit, the 50-year-old seems to have hit a purple patch in her career. “I am happy that all the hard work and waiting I put in for years is paying off. But I am hoping I can cover more heights,” she says, adding, “This is just the beginning.”

On whether this global recognition will translate into more opportunities in India, Shah says, “I will be able to answer that question better if, after a couple of days, I am flooded with amazing offers.”