Industry will not typecast me after 'Gandhi...': Shefali

Mumbai, Aug 3 (IANS) Shefali Shah, who plays Kasturba in "Gandhi My Father", is not at all worried about being typecast as an old woman after the film's release.

"No way, because I play young Kasturba in most of the film. And the cinematographer has made me look better than ever before. I don't think after this role the industry will typecast me," Shefali told IANS.

"And even if they do, it's up to me to take or leave their offers. I've always been choosy anyway. Even if I do one film every two years it has to be something special," she added.

Rohini Hattangadi got typecast after playing Kasturba in Sir Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi".

But Shefali considers her role in director Feroz Abbas Khan's "Gandhi My Father" her most important so far.

"Though I feel I could still have done better. I've never been more focused. Obviously I want to be appreciated. And I want the appreciation to be translated into a lot more.

"I'm at a stage where I think good things will happen to me. People are now willing to cast me in main leads. Somewhere I think I lacked the focus earlier."

Her role as Kasturba is already garnering rave reviews. In fact, Akshaye Khanna, who plays her son in the film, has gone on record to say it's the best performance in India by a female actor.

"I know Akshaye said that. And I'm deeply grateful. We've just returned from the film's world premiere and the response was overwhelming. Unfortunately, Nelson Mandela couldn't come due to ill health. That was really sad, though he did send a message. But the South African president and the whole cabinet were there."

Produced by Anil Kapoor, the film had its world premiere in Johannesburg last weekend and Shefali said that after the screening of the film there was stunned silence in the hall.

"They all told me they couldn't believe I look so different in person. A local lady who could barely speak English told me I made her cry. I feel this film goes beyond boundaries. It's really moving. The premiere was unbelievable.

"The film is about selfless creation. Every actor and technician believed in what they were doing. They thought of the film, not of their own interests. All of us got an insight into lives that went way beyond art and acting."

After "Gandhi My Father", Shefali will be seen as Anil Kapoor's wife in the Subhash Ghai production "Black & White".

Is she worried about the leap?

"Not really," said Shefali. "'Black & White' is not a running-around-trees film. It's again a socially relevant film. Anilji is the hero and I'm the conventional leading lady. But I don't wear makeup, good clothes and sing songs."

She says that it was Anil who recommended her name for the role.

"Had it not been a good role I wouldn't have done 'Black & White'. But it's not 'Gandhi My Father'. Nor is it 'The Last Lear', the English-language film that I've completed with Rituparno Ghosh."

The talented but grossly under-used Shefali, who started her career on television, is on the threshold of a new beginning.

"The Last Lear" is also very special for the actress, who is married to filmmaker Vipul Shah.

"I'm one of the central characters in both 'Gandhi My Father' and 'The Last Lear'. In Ritu's film I play my age and someone who looks after Amitji's character. I must tell you, after Vipul's unit, Ritu's was the most warm and organised unit I've worked with. He is very caring.

"I've worked with productions where scenes are written on the sets. Sometimes I've played a character who has nothing to do with the scene given to me."

And yet she did a bit role in Yash Raj Films' "Mohabbatein".

"I don't regret doing that. It was a small role but there was one good scene. After 'Gandhi' and 'The Last Lear' I may not do it. I took a break from acting to look after my babies, got back into shape. And now this is like my comeback. I've never felt better."

Also, not too many people know that Amitabh Bachchan addresses Shefali as 'maalkin'. The actress says she is clueless why he calls her that.

"I know!" she laughed. "It's very embarrassing when he called me that all through my husband's film 'Waqt - Race Against Time' and now during 'The Last Lear'. Maybe because I was the producer's wife!

"On the first day of the shoot he warned everybody, 'Don't go by her face, because by and by she'll start changing everything on the sets.' Hey, I don't do that! Of course, I was critical on Vipul's set. That was my home production. But on another set I wouldn't cross the line."

Recently, Shefali has been losing weight. "And so has my husband Vipul. I finally look the way I want to."

Click the Movie button below for more info:
Gandhi My Father