SHEFALI SHAH: I DON'T HAVE THE GREATEST SELF-ESTEEM

The moral spine of Netflix hit 'Delhi Crime 3' opens up about her fears, flaws and working with one of the finest female ensemble casts

- By Manjusha Radhakrishnan Entertainment, Lifestyle and Sport Editor

Hours before Delhi Crime Season 3 was to drop on Netflix, Indian actress Shefali Shah was doing what no one expects Varthika Chaturvedi to do: worrying.

The woman whose onscreen restraint has become a masterclass in quiet authority confesses she's unsure how audiences will react this time. The National Award-winning actor's turn as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi has made her an international force — and she has lived with the character's rage, restraint and breaking points.

"I know where she came from even 10 minutes ago, even a year ago," she says — but she has no idea if viewers will see the layers she's embedded. And it unsettles her more than any villain in the series.

"I'm terrified," she confesses during the zoom call, just 24 hours before the new season launch.

For an actor widely considered among India's finest, it's an unexpected confession. Shah shrugs it off with disarming candour: "I don't believe in myself as much as people do. I don't have the greatest self-esteem."

And yet, she leads one of the most decorated Indian series on the global stage. This new season brings a formidable trio beside her — Huma Qureshi, Rasika Dugal, Sayani Gupta — forming what Shah calls "easily one of the finest female ensemble casts I have seen. Phenomenal."

Across seasons, Varthika has become the moral centre of Delhi Crime. It's a burden Shah freely admits is overwhelming.

"People write to me saying, 'If we had her, our city would be safer.' That's too big a burden to carry," she says.