‘I had the leeway to interpret the role’: Shefali Shah on playing a DCP in a show based on Nirbhaya Case

While Shefali Shah has been delivering top-notch performances since the beginning of her career — think Satya, The Last Lear and more recently, Dil Dhadakne Do — last year added some more feathers to her cap. Whether it was the short film Juice that dealt with misogyny or the movie Once Again, about a middle-aged couple who find love and companionship, she shone in them. A great time to be an actor? “Yes, finally!” she laughs. Shefali will be now seen in the seven-part anthology series Delhi Crime on Netflix, based on the 2012 Nirbhaya case. The actress plays DCP Varthika Chaturvedi, who heads the Delhi Police investigation into the case in this fictionalised depiction directed by Indo-Canadian filmmaker Richie Mehta. Shefali, who is looking forward to shooting the second season of the show, tells After Hrs more about it...

What was your reaction when the show was offered to you?

It was a no-brainer. I said yes instantly. As a layperson, I didn’t know the investigative part of the incident at all. Also, when you meet the director of a project, you get to know their mindset. He was not interested in sensationalising the case. What happened was a scar we all live with. This was kind of giving us answers to all the questions we had.

The show is not an easy watch. Was it difficult to shoot as well?

Emotionally? Definitely. There was no other way to do this unless you’re deeply affected by it. There are two ways a story like this can be created. One is, with the team effort of all the people involved. And then the pragmatism to pull this off. Also, the pace we were working at was very fast. It complemented the five days of the investigation. There is so much research that has gone into this show. By the time we came on sets, we were all there in sync.

Your character DCP Varthika Chaturvedi is tough as nails, but she has also a vulnerable side. How did you prepare for this role?

I had the honour of meeting the DCP and asking her questions. But I wasn’t there when it actually happened and what she went through. So that only comes by instinct/impulse. I had all the leeway to interpret the role. As far as the vulnerable and tough side is concerned, it goes way deeper than just playing her. What I had as Shefali or as a layperson, was anger, pain, frustration and disdain for what had happened. So did Varthika. The only difference is that she channelised all of it into a single-minded focus of just finding these people. And she wouldn’t let emotions cloud her judgement. It doesn’t mean she is not sensitive. But if she was going to let her guard down and give into it emotionally, everyone around her would have fallen apart.

You are experimenting with different genres and platforms. Are you enjoying this phase? 

Completely! I am so glad that filmmakers are changing the way they look at women my age. For quite some time, they had a constricted way of looking at it and it’s changing now. It has a lot to do with the OTT platforms. Now, people are telling stories, not about heroes and heroines but about characters.