About the video
In conversation with Rohit Khilnani, Shefali Shah opens up about her new book The Audacity of Being: A Sort-of Memoir, published on October 1, 2026. She talks about what made her want to write the book, why she chose to keep it raw, honest and unfiltered, and why she never wanted it to have a conventional “moral of the story.” Instead, Shefali wanted the book to be an easy, humorous and honest read that reflects the different chapters of her life on her own terms.
Shefali discusses the things she chose to write about, and the things she deliberately left out, explaining why she would rather not mention something at all than create a version of events that isn’t true to her experience. She opens up about body image, having a bad hair day and how much her hair affects her confidence, as well as her introduction to therapy and what led her to seek it out.
She also reflects on growing up in a lower-middle-class family, the values and sense of respect it gave her, while also talking about how being extremely protected as a child shaped her in ways she only understood later. She revisits important chapters of her career, including her experiences with Ram Gopal Varma, stepping away from Rangeela, reuniting with him for Satya after Manoj Bajpayee recommended her, and what it meant to be part of Monsoon Wedding.
Shefali talks about her early marriage, why she felt it was important to acknowledge that chapter of her life in the book without allowing it to define her, and her relationship with husband Vipul Shah, including his reaction to the book. She also reflects on how playing a mother changed the way the industry saw her and the kinds of roles she was subsequently offered.
From Dil Dhadakne Do and Darlings to Delhi Crime, Shefali looks back at some of the roles that have shaped her career, the experiences behind them and the lessons she has carried forward. She also shares her thoughts on working with Amitabh Bachchan and what that experience has meant to her.
Watch Shefali Shah in conversation with Rohit Khilnani as she talks about The Audacity of Being, her childhood, relationships, therapy, body image, motherhood, her career, some of her most memorable roles and the many chapters that have shaped who she is today.