Shefali Shah has talked about saying no to work and sitting at home after playing Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar's mother at the age of 28. Shefali Shah essayed the character of Sumitra Thakur, Amitabh Bachchan’s wife in Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005). Akshay played her son in the film. In a new interview, Shefali said that she has denied work 'even if it meant sitting at home for two years'. Shefali also said that the digital space opened up a 'horizon with age-appropriate roles'.
Shefali said, “I played aged very early. I played Akshay Kumar’s mother when I was around 28. I got Hasratein when I was 20 and played a 30-35 year-old in it. After a point, I decided if I’m not getting the work that really drives me crazy, I will sit at home. I reached this place that such kind of work won’t come every day. And the few films I did raised that bar. I’ve said no to work even if it meant sitting at home for two years not doing anything.”
Speaking about the digital space, Shefali said, “OTT opened up that horizon with age-appropriate roles, where a heroine didn’t have an expiry date. Otherwise, there was an 18-22 window of age. After that, they didn’t know what to do with the women. They either became accessories or were just a wall in the background. I’ve been working since I was 16. But my professional life changed by the time I reached my 40s. In fact, it changed in the last two years after Delhi Crime.”
On the work front, Shefali will be next seen in Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment's Darlings alongside Alia Bhatt and Vijay Verma.
(Source: Indian Express)