Quotes from Shefali Shah

I was lucky to get really good films, even though I don't have 100 films in my resume.

A role is a role where I play someone else, but when it comes to paintings, it is me. It is unadulterated Shefali and there is no control and I can let go. I am unabashedly unapologetic about it. That is what is interesting about my paintings.

I don't want to put myself in a small block. That will be limiting myself and no actor wants to do that.

I don't know whether it is a boon or a bane but I can't act. I can just be. To me, that's the beauty of a performance. Otherwise, there is a falsetto, which sounds jarring.

A woman's physical body language and intelligence change as her age progresses.

Certain things are very important for me while saying 'yes' to a script. One is obviously the role and its importance to the film. When I say this, I don't mean the length. And last but not the least - the director.

I am extremely choosy about the work I do.

Acting happened to me incidentally, I never planned.

OTT platforms have taken away the pressure that would plague films earlier... the pressure of box office, the number of screens it will be played in, what kind of stars it has or even the pressure of censorship... This is a really big deal.

The films that I have done are commendable.

I love what I do too much to compromise on it. I would rather wait for the work that excites me than just go and do a job so I can stay busy.

The biggest advantage of OTT is that it is not confined to the box office.

With the digital space, you can see whatever you want in the confines of your home.

Every family has its lot of compromises, weaknesses and strengths.

Sometimes it hurts when I see my role being edited. But that wasn't the case with '15 Park Avenue... ' or 'Monsoon Wedding.'

You know, my endeavour is to blend into the larger picture. That was one of the strengths of my acting in 'Monsoon Wedding.'

I'm always getting into trouble because I'm not politically correct.

As actors when we have to emote, we internalise things, find moments that hurt us and portray them.

I don't know any other way of doing a show besides being completely consumed by it and the character.

Every time I go in front of the camera, I have this fear of 'Oh my God, how am I going to tackle this? The director is going to say 'action' and I'm going to just keep standing there; I won't know what to do.' That's a constant fear I have as an actor.

Doing 'Kucch Luv Jaisaa' was like a debut. There were never any apprehensions.

Playing the role of Vartika in 'Delhi Crime' was one of the most exhausting, consuming and enriching experiences of my career.

My goal is that my films should at least match up to my previous films if not be more.

The thing with this industry is, it's in your face, it's there. You are privy to whatever goes on, and somehow people have this sense of entitlement towards actors and filmmakers' life. It's like you don't have any privacy, your life is out there for people to see.