The Audacity of Being

Shefali Shah has captivated the Indian public for over three decades. From films like Monsoon Wedding, Dil Dhadakne Do and Darlings to the Emmy-winning series Delhi Crime, she has reinvented herself each time on the screen, essaying iconic characters. As a young actor with no connections in the entertainment industry, Shefali hustled her way through theatre and TV soaps, eventually featuring in acclaimed films and OTT shows, steadily building a career on instinct, honesty and an unwavering refusal to fit into boxes. In her memoir-in-essays The Audacity of Being, Shefali gets downright sincere and unserious at once, reflecting on her key projects and roles. She also writes about all life has thrown at her – love and its familiar aches, divorce and remarriage, friendships and community, ageing as a Bollywood actress, creative self-doubt and body image issues, and the trials of parenting. Slightly silly and undeniably moving, Shefali's writing reveals the person, performer and process.