I don't want to return to TV for soaps: Shefali Shah

Mumbai, Aug 19 (IANS) Versatile actress Shefali Shah, who was quite active on the small screen with soaps like 'Banegi Apni Baat', 'Kabhie Kabhie' and 'Hasraatein', has no plans to do soaps, but says she wont mind participating in a talk show.

'I don't want to return to television for any serial or anything, but yes I would not mind being part of a talk show. I can't do television serials anymore,' Shefali told IANS.

The 41-year-old, who started her career with theatre and then forayed into television, made her film debut with 'Rangeela', but was critically acclaimed for her role in underworld thriller 'Satya'.

She then went on to star in films like 'Waqt: The Race Against Time', 'Monsoon Wedding', 'Gandhi, My Father', 'Black & White' and 'The Last Lear', among others. She was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Bengali director Rituparno Ghosh's 'The Last Lear'.

Now the actress, who is married to producer-director Vipul Shah, is returning to theatre after a decade with a Hindi play 'Bas Itna Sa Khwab'.

'Theatre needs an immense amount of dedication and with my babies I couldn't give theatre that kind of time. You don't compromise on theatre. So it was a conscious decision to say that if I can't give it complete time and dedication I won't do it. I won't waste anyone else's time and energy,' she said.

'Also nothing so spectacular was offered to me in all these years, so that was another reason to wait for sometime before doing a play again,' she added.

'Bas Itna Sa Khwab' is the Hindi version of famous Marathi play 'Dhyani Mani', directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni. It also stars Kiran Karmakar in a pivotal role.

'It's a landmark play, it's a benchmark play and it is one of the finest roles an actress can ever ask for,' she said.

When asked of the mother of two, what was more challenging -- theatre, television or films, pat came the reply: 'Theatre is most challenging.

'There are no retakes, no flash backs and no voiceover. There you need to have a magnetic quality to hold the audience for those two hours. What carries you across in a play is your voice, your conviction. Theatre is very exhausting.'

So in all these years, has she witnessed a change in the theatre industry?

'I don't know about the changes in theatre but I can see a change in myself. When I started theatre, I didn't know things. I was completely inexperienced. I was following my directors, my seniors but now I use my experience to do my role and I interpret the character myself,' said the actress.

Apart from the play, Shefali will be seen in her husband's production venture 'Kuch Love Jaisa'. Directed by Barnali Shukla, it also stars Rahul Bose and Neetu Chandra and will be released in January next year.