Shefali Shah has been part of Indian cinema for over 30 years but it was Delhi Crime that truly placed her at the centre of the spotlight. The Netflix series which went on to have three seasons did something rare: it made a woman from the ’90s generation the face of a powerful successful show. Long before streaming became crowded with big names Delhi Crime quietly changed the rules.
Looking back Shefali agrees that things have finally started moving in the right direction for women in the industry. After Delhi Crime several senior actresses such as Sushmita Sen Raveena Tandon and Madhuri Dixit also headlined successful web series. For Shefali this shift feels important but she is quick to give credit where it’s due.
“Somebody else has paved the path for me” she says. “There is Shabana Azmi ji Smita Patil ji who have all paved paths for us the ones we are walking on. We are more privileged because they dealt with the struggle.”
She adds that if anything she has done helps future actors that’s a bonus but never the goal.

‘I had no idea Delhi crime would do this’ said Shefali
Shefali admits she never imagined the scale of success Delhi Crime would achieve. “It was not the plan but I am so glad it happened” she says adding that the show opened doors for women of all ages.
“For the longest time it was only young women and that too heroines. Uske alawa kya karna hai wo pata nahi” she explains. Being part of a project that allowed women beyond a certain age to lead stories felt deeply satisfying. “If I’ve taken one step towards actors getting the freedom to do meaningful work and getting their due it feels good.”

Learning from the younger generation
Shefali also sees a visible confidence shift in younger actresses today. Recalling her experience working with Alia Bhatt in Darlings she says “They’re focused driven and they own their worth. They say ‘Yes I deserve it.’”
She contrasts this with her own generation where basic respect often felt like something to be grateful for. “Now women say ‘I deserve to be treated well’ and that’s powerful.”
Shefali ends on a hopeful note praising her co-stars from Delhi Crime Huma Qureshi Rasika Dugal and Sayani Gupta calling them phenomenal. For her the real win is seeing women confidently claim their space on screen and off.