Bollywood actor rose to fame with RGV's biggest hit, was asked by Mira Nair if she even spoke English, left cinema at her peak as good offers dried up

Indian Express

a day ago

There are very few actors who rise above the projects they do, leaving audiences with little room to find fault in their performances. They might not necessarily become massy stars, but they leave a mark with every role they take on. One such example is Shefali Shah. The actor recently spoke about how she entered the film industry, bagged Mira Nair's critically acclaimed Monsoon Wedding, and eventually gave it all up for marriage.
After her TV debut, Shefali soon landed a role in Ram Gopal Varma's Rangeela. However, she wasn't happy with her small role, but her wish to play a more substantial character was fulfilled by RGV himself in Satya. She recalled, 'Because of TV, Satya happened, I played a small part in Rangeela. I was the heroine who runs away with the driver. I was unhappy with the way that part had turned out. I thought it was going to be a more prominent part, but I'm going to just excuse my immature brain at that point of time.'
Following her experience in Rangeela, RGV wasn't sure Shefali would work with him again. However, Satya's strong script made her forget past grievances. She said, 'I thought Rangeela was the beginning and the end of it, but then Satya happened. Ram Gopal Varma had said that 'I want her to do Satya, but I don't know whether she will work with me after Rangeela,' then Anurag Kashyap (writer of Satya) met me and narrated me the film and that's how Satya happened.'
Shefali's acting skills caught the attention of Mira Nair, who offered her Monsoon Wedding. However, their first interaction had an unexpected twist when Mira thought Shefali couldn't speak English. 'After Satya got released, Mira Nair called me and talking to me in Hindi, she told me 'mujhe nahi pata aapko English aati hai ki nahi (I don't know whether you can speak in English or not). I told her I can speak in English, but it was a huge compliment for me because it meant that Satya was so good. Then Monsoon Wedding happened.'
However, it didn't translate into good work for her, especially the sort of work she wanted to do. Shefali said more than working, this period was spent waiting for good projects. During this crucial period, she made the surprising decision to quit films and focus on her family. 'This was the time when exactly something could have happened about my career and I said 'I will get married. Have children and sit at home.'' However, Shefali also admitted that she didn't get many exciting offers after Monsoon Wedding.
Shefali married TV actor Harsh Chhaya, but their marriage lasted only four years before they parted ways. She later went on to marry producer and director Vipul Amrutlal Shah.