After several acclaimed performances and winning hearts with her roles, Shefali Shah has now turned director with her short film, Happy Birthday Mummy Ji, which was released on July 23. Not only has the actress directed it but also acted in it. The film is about the many roles that a woman plays in her life - be it a daughter, a mother or a wife and how she is often 'taken for granted'. But what's inspiring is the moment a woman realizes 'she doesn't need anyone else' to fulfill all her wants and needs. Well, that's exactly what Shefali's short film talks about with its liberating ending.
Shefali, in an exclusive chat with PeepingMoon, talked about the misinterpretation of her film's ending, breaking down the bathtub and hand shower scene and its importance of self-love. On closing the film with a shot that showed Shefali in a bathtub, taking over her 'wants and needs' with a hand shower in her hand, the actress said, "You know what, unfortunately, a lot of people haven’t gotten the ending. Unfortunately! I should have pushed the envelope a little bit more. She not only sits in the bathtub, but she also takes the hand shower. It’s her needs, it’s like, ‘I don’t need anybody, it’s my happy ending’. Thank God you got it, thank you. Somebody thought I committed suicide in the film's ending, which was even worse.”
The actress continued, “It’s like ‘mai aur mera hand shower aksar yeh baatien karte hai, it’s almost that. It’s stuff that women do not admit to. I think now in all the interviews, I’m only going to talk about the hand shower (laughs).”
Written and directed by Shefali Shah, Happy Birthday Mummy Ji is produced by Sunshine Pictures Pvt LTD and co-produced by Aashin A Shah.