Shefali Shah has had a bumpy ride to fame and success, however today she is one of the most successful actresses in her 40’s doing substantial roles both in movies and OTT platforms. There was a time back in 2005 when she played the role of Akshay Kumar’s mother in the film Waqt. She comments on how it was okay with her back then, but today she probably wouldn’t be opting for such roles.
Back then she was 32 while Akshay Kumar was 37. Recently she had also played the role of Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ mother in Zoya Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do.
Speaking on the same, she shared with a leading daily “If the actors are choosing to play these roles, who are we to comment? Nobody is putting a gun to anyone’s head and forcing them to act with XYZ whatever the age gap. I have never had a problem playing a mother or a supporting role as long as it’s a full-fledged character.My issue is why define a character merely based on his or her relationship with the leads? In the past, I have played mother to a person much older than me. But at this point, I want to say, listen, I don’t want to look younger than my age. I do have children who are 18 and 19, so I am comfortable playing a character like that. But I don’t want to play a mother to 25, 30, or 40-year-olds anymore. “
She acknowledges the fact how today the kind of content being made in films has evolved so much, giving ample opportunities to even the supporting cast. She commented on the same saying, “The change is ongoing. Earlier, when we got narrations, there was a hero and a heroine and, in some way, we were all related to them. You could be a mother, chachi (aunt) , sister or friend.They didn’t have individual full-fledged characters.Also, it was all very age-related.Today, that is changing.With OTT coming in, some of the best shows have been led by women, internationally. These female characters are complex, deep and nuanced. And most importantly, these are age-appropriate roles. “
Speaking of her role in Waqt with a leading daily, she said, “I believe that as an actor, the joy of being an actor is that you play roles that you are not. It could be caste, creed, color, sex, and age falls into the same bracket. So I didn’t see what the big deal was. I mean it was the exciting part, being somebody I am not. “
Shefali Shah will next be seen in Jalsa with Vidya Balan, releasing on an OTT platform.