British actress Rachel Shelley, best known for playing Elizabeth in Lagaan, also notably played Helena Peabody in the acclaimed LGBTQ drama The L Word.
Released 22 years ago, Lagaan is one of the most iconic films of Indian cinema. Not only did the film do great business at the box office but was even nominated for an Academy Award. The film took Indian cinema global but it also brought a bunch of British actors to India, chief among them were Paul Blackthorne and Rachel Shelley, who played Captain Russell and Elizabeth respectively. Shelly is now making a comeback to Indian entertainment this year.
Who is Rachel Shelley?
Rachel Shelley is a British actress who was born in Wiltshire, England in 1969. She began her acting career in 1994 with a short film called Broken Heart and a TV film titled Royce. Shelley went on to do small roles in films and episodic roles in British shows throughout the 1990s. In 2000, she was cast by Ashutosh Gowariker in his ambitious film Lagaan, where she played the second lead alongside Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, and Blackthorne. Following Lagaan’s success, Shelley went back to the UK to do more films and even appeared in Hollywood films and American TV shows
Rachel Shelley on The L Word
Apart from Lagaan, internationally, Shelley is best known for playing Helena Peabody in the American TV show The L Word, which aired from 2005-09. The series, which follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women in California, is considered one of the first mainstream American shows to depict graphic LGBTQ intimate scenes and include television's first ensemble cast of lesbian and bisexual female characters. Shelley joined the cast in season 2 and was part of the main cast till the show’s conclusion in season 6.
Rachel Shelley’s comeback with Netflix’s Kohrra
The actress is now set to make a comeback to Indian screens with Netflix’s upcoming show Kohrra. The crime thriller stars Barun Sobti and Suvinder Vicky in the lead roles and features Shelley as a British woman who comes to India following a tragedy. Created by Sudip Sharma and directed by Randeep Jha, the show will begin streaming on July 15.
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 "Rachel Shelley in Lagaan and The L Word")
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