Oct 12, 2026 3:00pm IST
Shefali Shah on The Audacity of Writing a Memoir, Upcoming Projects and Why She Wouldn’t Return For A ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)
When the conversation is about Shefali Shah, it’s usually about her range as an actor, her strong performances — often delivered through her incredibly expressive eyes — and her stint as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, the character she plays on the International Emmy-winning series, “Delhi Crime.” But now, the actor and occasional director dons another hat—author. She begins her writing journey with “The Audacity of Being,” which she tags as “A Sort-of Memoir.”
In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, Shefali Shah shoots straight and candidly about why the 53-year-old actress got down to penning a memoir now, why writing about these chapters of her life wasn’t actually cathartic and what her upcoming projects will be, both on the acting and writing fronts. Excerpts:
Isn’t it too early for a memoir? Why did you think the time was right?
My publishers thought that this was a great beginning. And they know this business far better than I do. What made sense was that it's my story and no one knows it better. I have the copyright to it. So no one can sue me if I wrote something off! Jokes apart, my publishers were convinced that my first book should be a memoir.
Does that mean you have plans to write more?
Yes, I do. But I think I want to write fiction.
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You’ve always been a woman of few but impactful words. How does that translate into your writing process? Did you ever get writer’s block?
If you've read any of my blogs or the stuff I write on Instagram, you know I speak a lot. And there's quite a bit that I have to say. And I say it. It flows till I reach the point of asking myself, “Should I write this or not?” Once that decision is made, then it just flows. As for writer's block, if I spent two and a half years on this, then two of those years were writer's block only! Because I was like, “Okay, now I have to write. Now they want another chapter. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to write!” The actual writing of the book would have been roughly six months or something.
Is it safe to say then that writing is harder than prepping for a film?
Definitely, because when you’re filming, you have a great team and you have solid material. But with writing a book, you're on your own. And then, of course, you're lucky if you have a good publisher who steps in and helps you streamline the entire thing.
The book often read like you were undertaking a journey, not much unlike your film 'Three Of Us', in which your character revisits their life to remind themselves of who they were and to arrive at who they are now. Was writing cathartic for you?
No, it hasn't been cathartic. It's been a fun journey to write. It's been like this: You go back, see an album, and you see, “Oh, this happened at that time”. And you remember the dress you wore and the smell around you… You remember everything, and then you narrate it to someone. It's not like at any point in time, through the book, I thought, “Oh my God, I went through this.” Not once.
The chapter where you write about your childhood starts with you being rather hesitant to talk about it. Why is that?
As I said, I wasn't very convinced by this memoir. And then, “Oh God, now I have to start from there?” I like to believe there's nothing remarkable anyone needs to know about my life. It's just someone living their own life. It's really as simple as that. So I couldn't understand why anybody would be interested in the story. But my publishers thought people would be. I'm so glad.
The chapters where you talk about ageing and your body exude an emotion that truly resonates. We keep talking about loving our body without admitting how difficult it is to do it all the time… What’s your take on vanity?
It has nothing to do with me being an actor. Every person has the right to look the way they want, which makes them happy and confident. The problem is that the idea or parameters of beauty have been set in our heads since probably our grandparents’ birth. It’s what we grow up with. My grandmom or my mom must have had their own insecurities. But I don't think they were going through so many complexes about what they looked like. They were far more confident and comfortable in their skin.
But now, whether due to films or social media, the idea of beauty is more pressurising than ever. And it's changing on a day-to-day basis. And keeping up with that is not exactly easy for someone who's not interested in it. But I believe it's every person's prerogative how they want to look.
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You speak of your early years in Gujarati theatre, where it all began for you. Any plans to return to the stage?
I would love to do theatre, but in terms of time, I cannot give it the kind of commitment it requires right now. And I won't half-ass it.
You've always spoken so fondly of “Dil Dhadakne Do,” even in the book. Would you ever consider a sequel if it came to you? What do you think Neelam would be up to right now?
I hope she dumped her husband, for sure! He was just such a jerk. Although I don't think she would. But I hope she starts doing something with her life so that she's never at the mercy of someone. Because then she doesn't have to take shit from that person. So I really hope she's figured her life out by now. And I think if she still wants to eat cake, please go ahead. It’s nobody's business how much cake she eats!
So as far as the sequel is concerned, I really don't know. Because I’m not sure if I want to put myself in that age group again. But in the end, any project depends on what the story is.
You’ve had a stint directing a short film. Any more plans to write and direct?
I really want to. And I definitely want to write. As far as direction is concerned, I keep feeling that people put a lot of trust in a director, whether financial or otherwise. Everyone's hard work rests on that person's shoulders. I'm not sure if I'm ready to carry that responsibility right now. But I really want to. Maybe I should just take the plunge?
How about your upcoming acting projects? What will we see you in?
There is a film that I shot with my husband, Vipul A. Shah, some time back that I am really looking forward to. It's called “Hisaab,” and it's a fun bank heist film with Jaideep Ahlawat, Abhishek Banerjee and me.
And then, I’ve shot for a show which hopefully should release sometime next year. I am in conversations for some more things that I'm very excited for. But until a project is fully signed and sealed, I don't want to jump at it.
Is there something that, at this juncture, you wish would change in the industry?
We want more parts. I mean, we are phenomenal at whatever age. So I don't know what we're waiting for.
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