BANGALORE: Dressed in tight jeans and a black top, almost 7 kg lighter actress Shefali Shah looked not a single bit of her screen persona. Shefali, who is known for playing mature roles, was in the city to promote her film Kuch Love Jaisa that incidentally has the actress playing a glamorous role for the first time. “At last, I get to play my age in Kuch Love Jaisa!” exclaimed Shefali. The fact that her hubby Vipul Shah has produced the film only added to her excitement. In an exclusive chat with City Express, Shefali talks about her new glam avatar, love for cinema and her future plans
You play a very glamorous role in Kuch Love Jaisa. Do you see it as a welcome change?
Definitely. To be honest, I was bored of playing characters which are double my age and was desperately looking for a change. I’m happy that Barnali Shukla, the director of this film, could see it in me to carry off a character like this. It’s something that even my husband could never have thought of, so I’m really grateful to her. I just hope to get the same reaction from the audience as well.
Was shooting for Kuch Love Jaisa a family affair since it’s been produced by Vipul?
Actually, I’d already signed this film, to be directed by Barnali Shukla. When Vipul heard the script from me, he liked it so much and wanted to produce the film. He spoke to her and things were sorted out. So he came on board much later.
Did Vipul’s decision to produce this film make your job easier as an actress?
Not at all. In fact, it became all the more complicated as I had to take care of everything in Vipul’s absence. I was like the hostess who had to make sure that everyone in the team likes the working environment and delivers their best.
Tell us something about the title of the film
There are so many emotions that can’t be described in words. The film is about two people who have still not kissed and admitted to their relationship; it’s about their journey together before they fall in love with each other.
You are paired opposite Rahul Bose in Kuch Love Jaisa. Isn’t it quite an unusual pairing?
I’ve worked with Rahul earlier in 15 Park Avenue but this time it was different. It’s always interesting to see two totally different people trying to figure out what love is together. As they say, opposites always attract.
Are you happy that in this age of realistic cinema even non-mainstream actors can enjoy the same fame and adulation so far been give solely to commercial actors?
I think realistic/art cinema has always been there but it’s now getting closer to commercial cinema, in terms of its content and production value. Actors like Naseeruddin and Shabana Azmi have always been known for their association with art cinema but like I said, the thin line that used to divide the art cinema and the commercial cinema is now vanishing. It’s now just good cinema.
Would you like to become the number one actress in Bollywood now that you’ve turned glam with Kuch Love Jaisa?
I’m a greedy actor and love taking up challenges as an actor but I don’t think I can make acting the central focal point of my life and let other things revolve around it. Acting is just a part of my life; it’s not life. I don’t care about the number game or reaching the top slot. I want creative satisfaction when I say yes to a particular role and nothing else. There are other things that make me feel good about my existence such as reading a book, listening to good music or simply spending quality time with people who really matter to me.
Are you looking forward to playing more glamorous roles in the future?
It’s not about playing glamorous roles; it’s about playing my age on screen. When I played Akshay Kumar’s mother in Waqt, everyone in the industry quickly categorised me and I was inundated with many such offers. That completely curtailed my creativity. It’s not that I didn’t like doing those roles because once you take up a role you want to do it convincingly. Everyone liked me in Waqt and Gandhi My Father but I wanted to do something different. With Kuch Love Jaisa, I’m hoping to get a lot of young, vibrant roles coming my way.
Can this film be called a turning point of your life?
I’ve no future plans as of now other than wait for this film to release and see what the audience and critics have to say about my performance. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for a positive response.