Recently, the whole country celebrated when the Indian web-series ‘Delhi Crime‘ became the first Indian show to win an International Emmy Award. This powerful and hard-hitting series is based on the Nirbhaya gang-rape case.
In the show, which has won the award in the Best Drama Series category, actress Shefali Shah played the officer who spearheaded the team investigating the case. Her character, Vartika Chaturvedi, was based on former Delhi Police DCP Chaya Sharma. Recently, Shefali Shah mentioned how she was emotionally involved and invested in the powerful series.
She shared with TOI, how she carried the baggage of the show when she traveled to Delhi:
“When I went there I was carrying the baggage of the show, I knew what happened and I was knowing what I was going out to do there. Also the drive from the airport to Delhi, you passed through all the areas where the incident took place and it left dread in my stomach, knowing it could be so unsafe for me, knowing that somebody suffered such a brutal attack.”
She added,
“I have traveled before to Delhi, but I had always felt comfortable being in the city but this time when I went for the show, it was a dreadful feeling, there was something uncomfortable about it.”
In the light of this horrific incident, a mother of two sons, Shefali shared her piece of advice for them:
“Well, I always believe that our daughters are safe only if our sons are raised right and this is exactly what I tell my children. I will kill them if they hurt anybody.”
In the quest to ensure Nirbhaya gets justice, DCP Chaya Sharma played a significiant role. Without her undying courage and strength, it would have been impossible to crack such a case in a record time.
Sharing her experience of meeting DCP Chaya Sharma in person, Shefali Shah said,
“I had the honour of meeting the woman who cracked the case and she was kind enough to answer all my questions, whenever through the shoot, even if we didn’t meet. It helped me so much. She led a team and the entire police force really worked cracking it in the next 5 days and getting all the predators.”
Speaking about her learnings from the series, she said,
“There is so much I took away. ‘Delhi Crime’ was a turning curve in my life. I have never worked like this before. This is just enriching me, it has made me more meticulous, more particular, at the same time, it made me sharper, instinct and impulse because that is what I fall back on when I am in front of the camera.”
At IFORHER, we congratulate Shefali for her powerful act and wish her luck for the future endeavors.
