Actress Shefali Jariwala was recently seen in the second season of the web series Ratri Ke Yatri opposite Sharad Malhotra. The show is an anthology based on the stories of the red light area. Shefali she plays the role of a sex worker. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive interview.
Sharing her experience working on the show, Shefali gushes, “It was nothing short of magical. I’m happy to be a part of such a beautiful narrative. It’s a beautiful, heart-hitting story. When this character was initially offered to me, my first response was ‘No I cannot do it. How will I play the role of a prostitute?’ But that’s when I realised that there are very few characters that can help you improve your craft. Ratri Ke Yatri helped me do that. There was a great vibe in the set. I got to learn a lot.”
As per Shefali, it was difficult for her to get into the skin of the character. She explains, “There was a lot of preparation that went in. It was important for me to understand where they come from and why it is the way that they are. They are very sexy and sensuous and comfortable with their bodies, they're bold in terms of attitude. I met some sex workers and interacted with them. Their stories are heartbreaking and that is something I learned. Talking about sex workers is such a taboo even today. They’re considered outcast and low. But I understood that’s not true. They are doing what they do because of certain circumstances and nobody chooses to be a sex worker. Now, I feel more sensitive towards them. While preparing for this role, I became a better human being. I understood human emotions better.”
She further elaborates, “It was tough to catch the nuances - to be bindaas in front of so many people. But Anil Kumar sir (director) and Sharad made it comfortable for me. I was ready to shoot but the moment our director said action, I froze because it was a difficult character and also because that was the first project I shot after two years of being at home due to the pandemic. It was like starting from scratch. I felt I was facing the camera for the very first time. However, it went off really well. Once we started, the vibe on the set was positive and very encouraging. Then there was no looking back. I won't say it became effortless but I became comfortable with my body language, the dialogues and the emotions that I was supposed to portray.”
Shefali reveals why she decided to do the show. “The primary reason was our director Anil sir. It was a dream come true to work with him. I learned a lot from him. Parag (husband) was a part of the first season of the show and I'd seen first-hand how well it turned out. Also, I'm at a point in my career where I’m hungry and greedy for good roles. And when this role came to me, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to get out of my comfort zone. I had to gather the courage and I had to say yes. There was no way I would not do this. I feel a lot more confident as an actor now after playing such a difficult and sensitive character,” she says.
Several Bollywood actresses, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vidya Balan and Rani Mukerji among others, have played the roles of sex workers on screen. "Initially, I thought I would watch their films to understand how they did it but Parag discouraged me and said 'you need to bring your own flavour to the character and sometimes by over-watching people playing a certain character you tend to corrupt your uniqueness'. So, I did not watch their films but I did a lot of research by watching documentaries on real sex workers. I tried to understand their body language and the way they walk and talk. Interacting with a few of them helped me a lot. Hats off to all these beautiful women who played such difficult characters with so much ease. It looks effortless but believe me, it's a lot of hard work to understand such characters and play them," she signs off.
