Fresh off the release of Delhi Crime Season 3, National Award and International Emmy-winning actor Shefali Shah is in a space where she finally feels confident enough to demand the basics she deserves at work. But even now, she admits she often struggles with guilt for standing up for herself.
In a candid conversation with NDTV, the actor opened up about the long journey it has taken to acknowledge her own worth, set boundaries, and refuse unreasonable working conditions.
"Luckily, I've worked with people who are respectful and sensitive," she said, adding that producers pushing actors to compromise is still a lived reality. "Most producers will say 'avoid this for now, it can't happen.' But now I'm like, this is it. You can't tell me I won't have a van with a toilet. Let's be realistic."
Shefali explained that she has no problem adapting to difficult shooting environments, remote locations, no hotels, no vanity vans, as long as everyone is treated fairly.
"If I know we're in a village with only one shade, of course I'll sit under it. I'm not asking you to build a hotel. But if you can give something and you choose not to because you think I'm not worth it, then it's ok, let's not work together."
What she firmly refuses to compromise on is the dignity and comfort of her team.
"Why do I need a big van? Because I have never, ever let my team stand out in the sun or the rain. If my van is tiny and only, I can sit or lie down, where is my team supposed to go?"
She added that she insists on sharing her food and resources with her staff, even when teams on set try to separate them: "They'll say, 'We'll only order for you.' And I tell them, please order from my card. I won't waste my energy on this nonsense."
Her husband, filmmaker Vipul Shah, also plays a role in helping her enforce boundaries. She recalled him instructing her new team member that Shefali must be pulled out after her designated hours.
"He told her, 'She will keep working for 16-18 hours without realising. It's your duty to get her out.'"
Has success changed the power dynamics? Shefali isn't sure.
"I don't know if it's success or if I've simply decided I won't do this anymore. I know I'm not unreasonable. I'm not asking for stars and the moon. I just value myself now."
The harsh reality of an actor's day long commutes, endless shooting hours, barely any rest, time to exercise, time for family, and finally prepping again for the next day has pushed her to cap her working hours at 10-12 per day.
Anything beyond that, she says, eats into her already limited sleep, leaving her drained before the next day has even begun.Yet, despite all the clarity and confidence, she admits a lingering guilt.
"I still feel like maybe we should give in. And then my girls did the math for me when I wake up, how long I travel, how long I shoot and asked what is left? And I realised they are right."
As Delhi Crime 3 begins streaming, Shefali Shah's honesty is a powerful reminder that even the most celebrated actors often have to fight for basic respect and that valuing oneself is still a radical act in the industry.