After tiptoeing around fame for close to 20 years, Shefali Shah is finally staking her claim to the spotlight
Shefali Shah
Image: Mexy Xavier
Shefali Shah is planning her 50th birthday. “These days I’m doing nothing, really,†she says, sitting comfortably in a chair, dressed in a striped kurta and white palazzos, her hair tied in a bun.
This is not something you expect to hear, because filmography-wise, 2022 was jam-packed for the actor. She had a new film or an over-the-top (OTT) show almost every quarter, starting with the series Human in January, then Jalsa alongside Vidya Balan in March. She followed that up with Darlings alongside Alia Bhatt, and Season 2 of her award-winning show Delhi Crime in August, and capped off the year with Doctor G, led by actor Ayushmann Khurrana, in October. Most of these projects were shot in 2021 and spilled over to 2022 with marketing and promotions, all in all resulting in “more work than I’ve done in my entire careerâ€, Shah says.
That’s not all. She did a TEDx talk in November about breaking barriers and not being defined by conventional roles set by society. After that, she was at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa for the premiere of her forthcoming film Three of Us, directed by Avinash Arun, and co-starring Jaideep Ahlawat and Swanand Kirkire. She is also in the early stages of discussing two OTT shows that are currently in the scripting stage and will materialise in the second half of 2023.
In retrospect, perhaps it makes sense that on the December day we meet, Shah is finally doing nothing. She is taking the time off that she desperately deserves—planning a trip to Africa, she says, and also her milestone birthday in March. For the celebration, she wants to take care of everything; the food, decoration, guest list, theme, the works. “Can I also tell people what to say?†she jokes.
I ask her if this is about wanting to be in control of everything. “No,†she replies, her eyes twinkling and her face breaking into a smile. “It’s about living your life the way you want.â€
(This story appears in the 13 January, 2023 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)