There are some actors who elevate a project just by their mere presence. The actors listed here bring a certain dignity, charm and honesty to their onscreen portrayals, so much so that just their name on the credit roll makes the show/film a must-watch. Then it doesn’t matter whether the role is small or big, protagonist or antagonist. On the occasion of International Women’s Day today, we throw light on the contribution of a handful of female actors who lend credibility to any project they are part of:
Shefali Shah
The length of the role does not always define the impact of the performance. Case in point — Neeraj Ghaywan’s 2017 short film Juice. It is difficult to think of anyone else in Shefali Shah’s place as she plays a survivor of patriarchy who ultimately takes a stand for herself. No lengthy dialogues, just her body language and those large expressive eyes are enough to convey the years of humiliation and hurt that must have built up over the years. The film on gender equality is just one of the many instances of Shah’s ability to convey a lot without saying much. And when she does speak, it is difficult for the audience to look away from the screen. Just watch her performances in movies such as Monsoon Wedding (2001), Gandhi, My Father (2007), Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), Once Again (2018) and Darlings (2022) or her projects including the Emmy Award-winning crime series Delhi Crime (2019) and the anthology Ajeeb Daastaans (2021), and you will understand the dignity she brings to the projects she chooses to associate with.
Sheeba Chaddha
Just last year alone Sheeba Chaddha appeared in six films and the actor, who has been a part of theatre, television, films and Web-series, managed to make each role stand out with her memorable performances. From a Bengali chudail in Phone Bhoot (2023) to playing a “lazy mother” who comes to terms with her son’s sexual preferences in Badhaai Do (2022), Chaddha’s versatility is her biggest strength, as are the nuances she brings to each character. In interviews, her co-stars have praised her ability to bring a certain unpredictable charm to her roles, making her a delight to watch on screen, no matter how big or small the role is. Starting her career in films as a character artist in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Chaddha was noticed for her portrayal of a sex worker in Talaash (2012) and 2015’s Dum Laga Ke Haisha in which she plays "single" aunt to Ayushmaan Khurrana’s character. Chaddha has been quoted saying in an interview that she doesn't like to work too hard, nor does she like to overthink her roles. Maybe, that is the secret to her seemingly effortless performances.
Tillotama Shome
When the Indian adaptation of The Night Manager released a few days ago, the audience was left wondering why Tillotama Shome’s face was nowhere to be seen on the posters. It is a testament to the acting prowess of Shome that even though she did not have as prominent a role as Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shobhita Dhulipala in the show, she left an impact as a RAW agent determined to catch the bad guys. It is not possible to think of 2001’s Monsoon Wedding without thinking of the vulnerability she brought to her character of the maid Alice — her debut role in a film. 2013’s Indian-German film Qissa won her accolades for her role as a girl who is raised as a boy. She played a house help yet again in 2018’s Sir but her character Ratna was in stark contrast to Alice. She portrayed yet another side of herself in Delhi Crime’s season 2 where she played the role of the antagonist, a character that required her to embrace the greyness between right and wrong. In the last two decades since she made her debut, Shome has only gone from strength to strength. About time we see her face on the posters.
Neena Gupta
In 2017, Neena Gupta put up a post on her social media reminding everyone that she is open to work and is, in fact, looking for good parts to come her way. It is a testament to the National award-winning actor’s talent that not only did she receive many offers in the wake of that said post, but she went on to leave her indelible mark on each of them. 2018’s Badhaai Ho proved to be another feather in her much-feathered cap in which she plays a middle-aged woman who gets pregnant. The movie received critical acclaim and is possibly one of the best performances of her career which is studded with gems such as the TV drama Saans (1999) and films including Mandi (1983), Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (1992) and Woh Chokri (1994). In recent times, films such as The Last Color (2019), Panga (2020) and the recently-released Vadh and her performance in both seasons of the Web-series Panchayat have been highly appreciated by the audiences.
Geetanjali Kulkarni
From Marathi plays to Hindi theatre and then finally making her way to cinema and OTT, Geetanjali Kulkarni’s journey has seen her play diverse roles in a career spanning close to two decades. The National School of Drama graduate made everyone sit up and take notice of her presence with the award-winning Marathi film Court (2014). In more recent times, audiences will know her for her role of the matriarch of the Mishra family in the much-acclaimed Web-series Gullak. Kulkarni is brilliant as Shanti Mishra who grumbles and seems bitter about everything but never once loses the dignity she brings to the role of the oft-unseen housewife in Indian shows. In between Court and Gullak, Kulkarni’s performances in Mukti Bhawan (2017), Photograph (2019), Taj Mahal 1989 (2020) and the Marathi black comedy Karkhanisanchi Waari (2021) have made her one of the most dependable and interesting actors in recent times.
Rajshri Deshpande
After watching Rajshri Deshpande’s performance in the Netflix series Trial by Fire, National Award-winning director Hansal Mehta tweeted that the actor deserves an Emmy for her performance. Indeed, Deshpande is not only riveting as Neelam Krishnamoorthy, a mother seeking justice for the children she lost in the tragic Uphaar cinema fire, this also proved to be a breakout role for the actor who gained popularity for her turn as the gangster’s wife in Sacred Games (2018) and as Ismat Chughtai in Manto (2018), both in 2018. International recognition had already come her way with her performance in Pan Nalin’s Angry Indian Goddesses (2015). Other notable mentions in her filmography include Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Sexy Durga (2017) and BBC One’s McMafia (2018), she will also be seen in Devashish Makhija's new film, the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Joram. For the 40-year-old actor who made a switch from advertising to showbiz, Trial by Fire is a teaser of the powerhouse performances one can expect from an actor of her calibre.
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