Exclusive: Shefali Shah Looks Back at Working With Alia Bhatt on Darlings’ 3rd Anniversary

Why did you decide to be a part of Darlings?

The moment I read the script I fell in love with it and I knew I had to do it. Not to miss that they had such a fabulous cast and crew.

How does it feel that the movie was received so well by the audience and is still remembered?

I’m thrilled obviously. And the fact that people have watched it and still want to watch it multiple times says how much it’s loved.

Who was your inspiration for Shamshunissa? How did you characterise for the role?

There was a lady Jasmeet (K. Reen, director) had taken me to meet. We sat together for a couple of hours, just chatting to get a feel of the way someone in her area would speak like. Having said that, Jasmeet and me wanted Shamshu to become her own person.

Were there any lines you improvised or added your own twist to?

I don’t remember. But improvisation is a part of the process and it happens organically. It’s not planned. But who she became was thought through.

Your camaraderie with Alia Bhatt on screen seemed seamless. Do you remember any off screen moments when the two of you discussed your scenes?

We always discussed and rehearsed the scenes. And we just fell into sync with each other almost immediately. And that chemistry showed on screen.  Also, we had a great time making the film. There were days we would just keep cracking up in between scenes.

What was the most challenging scene that you still remember from the movie?

To say any scenes were easy would be undermining the effort that goes into making it look so easy and lived in. So it’s hard to pick one. But I just had an absolute blast being Shamshu.

Darlings explores domestic abuse through a dark comedy lens. What was your take on the script when you read it?

The hero of this film for me was the script. It was an important and dark subject which was dealt with in a funny way. Like a sugar coated quinine, it’s easier to swallow. It was one of those rare scripts where you don’t want to change a word it was so perfect and it was told in the right way. Also the characters are so diverse and interesting. Comedy wasn’t forced. Shamshu is the way she is she’s not trying to be funny.

Shamshunissa is protective, witty yet unpredictable. What part of her personality resonated with you most? What part felt the most distant?

Shamshu was one cracker of a woman. She was strong, funny, wicked, crazy, enterprising and proactive. She was fearless to take matters in her own hand. Despite the hardships she’s faced in her life, she’s not bitter. She has a zest for life and remains spunky. She has fire in her and she is fiercely protective of her child. She is ferocious enough to stand up to anyone who would hurt her. In many ways, Shamshu and me are very similar. In fact, Shamshu is one character that is closest to who I am as a person.

How was it working with debutant director Jasmeet K. Reen?

It was a dream. I adore Jasmeet and respect her tremendously. I think she is so talented and fabulous at what she does. And unassuming. I was anyway bowled by her script. When I met her, it was like we always knew each other. I don’t remember any kind of awkwardness or distance from day one of us meeting. It was fun and it’s easy to work with her. I really hope we get to work together again on something as special and crazy as this.

Would you have played Shamshunissa differently had the project come to you now?

I don’t know. We all are constantly growing, changing and evolving. The way we would react to a situation 2 years ago, we may do it differently now. And the same applies to me as an actor and how I would now approach a script and character, but I can’t actually say how. And honestly I love her the way she is.

Also Read: Shefali Shah says Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan will always be stars