edited by: Bohni Bandyopadhyay
Last Update: January 26, 2023, 2:01 PM IST
Shefali Shah as Shamshunissa from Darlings.
In an exclusive chat with News18, Shefali Shah talks about her quirky side in Darlings and shares the kind of roles she would like to do in future.
Shefali Shah dazzled 2022 with back-to-back path-breaking performances. Be it playing Rukhsana in Vidya Balan starrer thriller Jalsa, DCP Vartika Chaturvedi in the second season of Emmy Award winning show Delhi Crime, Gauri Nath in medical thriller series Human or social-comedy-drama film Doctor Ji opposite Ayushmann, veteran actress Khurrana has Not only impressed everyone with his impeccable acting skills, but also proved that versatility is his forte.
Along with the many movies and shows mentioned above, Shefali was also a part of Jasmeet Ke Reen’s dark comedy Darlings, which was based on the backdrop of domestic violence. Apart from receiving positive reviews from critics, Alia Bhatt The starrer clocked in 10 million hours of viewing time during its opening weekend. Now, the film is all set to premiere on television.
In an exclusive interview with News18 Shosha, Shefali Shah revealed that her character in Darlings was closest to her real life personality. She said, “Shamsunisa is closest to me as a person. I am very much like him. I know I have the image of a very serious person but believe me I have a sense of humour. i’m funny I’m evil in a funny way. And that’s what the film is about. So it was really refreshing for me to do it because I’ve always been considered a very serious actor because of the image of the work I’ve done. Although I am very serious about what I do, I have another side which is fun. And it was a lot of fun doing Darlings. It really was a great journey for all of us together.”
The Dil Dhadakne Do actress also agreed that while doing Darlings, she felt the urge to do more quirky roles. She said, “I would love to do more comedy. I would love to do more light films. I love all the projects that I have done. And I like the gravity and seriousness of it. Darlings may be a funny and light-hearted film, but the film has a lot of seriousness in it. But I would love to explore roles. As an actor, you would not want to do such things. So I would definitely like to explore.”
When asked how she and the cast would relax after shooting for a particularly intense scene in Darlings, Shefali replied, “Overall we had a lot of fun. The script itself was like this. When you are doing comedy, you are learning from each other. It’s what actually happens on set, not what’s written in the script. There were times when we would just keep breaking up. And our scenes would be paused because we were finding it all too funny. As far as the depth part of it goes, it’s part and parcel of what we do. So when we were doing those intense parts, everybody was paying attention to what was happening. And trying to give my best. And even physically shooting the entire last sequence was not easy and certainly not easy for Vijay (Verma) as well.”
While Shefali feels that she has not been able to shoot for two projects simultaneously, the talented actress highlights how she transitions between new roles and characters. “When you do a film that is so satisfying, it takes everything away from you. Be it human, I liked the character of Gauri Nath. So there was nothing left to give or take. It’s over and over. And then you move on and take up another project and become another character and then you are completely hooked to it,” expressed Shefali.
Adding to this, he also recalled the toughest characters he has imbibed in the recent past. Shefali quips, “All my characters have taken a lot from me. It would be unfair to pit one against the other. For example, each one of the projects I did last year was different and required a different side of me. Manav was a character that I have never played before. She was a completely dark person. This is a character I don’t even have a reference point for. And then there was Jalsa which again is very intense. Then there is Darlings which talks about a very relevant and important topic and yet treats it in a different and unique way. Then you go to Delhi Crime. So that’s all. ,
Shefali leaves no stone unturned when she is on the set. The actress revealed, “I chew on my director’s brain. I ask a lot of questions and they’re like, ‘Oh my god!’ I Want to Know Everything. I have had a lot of conversations with my director. It’s always a give and take. Because we’re building the character together and I go into the smallest detail, whether you see it on screen or not, it matters to me, I need to know. For me, the visual is the last part of it. But how did you reach the spot? When the cameras roll, I honestly don’t know what to do. No matter how much rehearsal, something else happens when the cameras roll. And I can’t measure it.”
Talking about the kind of roles she wants to do now, the Ajeeb Dastan actress revealed, “There are so many roles and aspects of different characters that I would like to do. I’m a diehard romantic. I have not done many romantic films. I actually just did ‘Once Again’. So that’s something I would be interested in.”
see World The television premiere of Darlings airs on 29th January at 8PM only on Zee Cinema.
read all latest movie news Here