The Indian film industry took a long time to tap into the kind of potential that Shefali Shah has.Shefali's career graph is proof that despite proving her mettle with films likeRangeela, Satya and Monsoon Wedding, filmmakers took their own sweet time to offer her roles that were apt to her age.?
"They took forever! I was almost on retirement."?
Throwing light on age discrimination in the Indian film fraternity, Shefali recalls her 2005 project, Waqt, when she was roped in to play Akshay Kumar's mother.
"I played age 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."
She added that she made it a point to pass on roles that didn't justify her full potential after a fact. She said,?
"After a point, I decided if I'm not getting the work that drives me crazy, I will sit at home. I reached this peace that such kind of work won't come every day. And the few films I did raise that bar. I've said no to work even if it meant sitting at home for two years, not doing anything."
Shah was recently seen in projects like Once Again with Neeraj Kabi and Ajeeb Daastaans with Manav Kaul.?
In 2020, Delhi Crime, a drama she headlined, won the Best Drama Series award at the 48th International Emmy Awards.