New Delhi: Yash Raj Films’ 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar' presented a new brand of hero and heroism that was rare in Indian cinema. It starred Ranveer Singh, who is dubbed as the best actor in the country today given his chameleon-esque ability to shape-shift on screen with every film. Ranveer again transformed himself into a character hailing from heartland Gujarat, who with his razor-sharp wit, delivered powerful messages about patriarchy and women empowerment in this social satire. The film also starred Shalini Pandey, who made her Bollywood big screen debut and delivered a powerful performance as a pregnant girl in the film!
'Jayeshbhai Jordaar' struggled at the box office because people were keen to watch big-screen spectacles. However, the film, Ranveer’s brilliant performance, and Shalini’s formidable acting skills are getting a lot of love from people ever since it started streaming on a global OTT platform!
Shalini says, “It is amazing to see the love that Jayeshbhai Jordaar is getting from audiences post its OTT release! What’s also heartening is that people are loving my work and are appreciating how I have sensitively played the role of a pregnant woman fighting patriarchy in the film. Jayeshbhai Jordaar gave me the opportunity to tell everyone that I’m here for the long run and that I’m only interested in doing exciting roles that challenge me thoroughly.”
Shalini admits that everyone advised her to not play a pregnant girl in her Hindi big screen debut but the artiste in her made her choose otherwise.
She says, “Everyone told me that I was taking a huge risk by choosing to play a pregnant woman on screen. I didn’t pay attention to such comments because for me what mattered was the role allowing me to express myself as an artist. I look up to actresses who have broken the mould by choosing daring films and roles and I want to be one of them. I want my filmography to be as diverse as possible.”
She adds, “I want that as my calling card to the industry, audiences, and media. So, the attention that I’m getting for my debut Bollywood big screen film, is the reason enough for me to smile and choose more such different roles in the future.”