Shilpa Shukla: The reach and acceptance of the audience has suddenly increased

Actor Shilpa Shukla says actors who’ve been working on their craft for years are now finally getting the opportunities they deserve all thanks to OTT.

Be it Mentalhood, Hostages or Criminal Justice: Behind The Closed Doors, Shilpa Shukla shone in all these stories with her performances last year. What’s more pleasing, according to the actor, is that many have said they want to see more of her onscreen. Content with the love, Shukla is determined to not disappoint her fans, her craft and is hoping for a “meaningful 2021”.

Shilpa Shukla on the rise of streaming.

“The reach and acceptance of the audience has suddenly increased. I’m happy that people liked all these projects and my work. Thanks to the web, one thing that we’ve been talking about for years that time is going to change, it’s happening now. All the actors who’ve worked on their crafts for years are finally getting what they deserve,” says the Chak De! India (2007) actor.

Shukla feels cinema has limited scope in terms of how many characters can be highlighted and also how smaller films would earlier get lesser timings and theatres have now got a new lease of life on OTT.

“To me OTT sounds like a mix of theatre and cinema. The grammar is new, we’re beginning to learn and hopefully in the next couple of years it’s going to do much more,” she says also praising substantial roles being finally written for women.

“It’s not like either you’re a heroine or a vamp. Now female characters are layered, have shades of reality. Web is offering that space to women. Criminal Justice is one of the biggest examples. All those women who were waiting in the wings are now getting opportunity,” she adds.

Referring to this notion of actresses having a shelf life limited till they’re 30-35, but OTT has changed the perspective, now you can shine at any agenotion of actresses having shelf life till they’re 30-35, she continues, “When you’ve a limited shelf life you tend to compromise. But OTT has changed the perspective. Now, you can shine at any age. That way it’s much relaxed, encouraging. I feel the market is fairer now.”

Since her debut with Khamosh Pani in 2003, Shukla hasn’t done many films. She was new to the industry and being an outsider there was no one to guide her. Then she took a break between 2015 and 2018, as roles were getting repetitive, only to return to acting with theatre in 2019.

“Now I’m prepared. The offers have been better in terms of characters, stories, directors,banners... I’ve a couple of web shows and a film that’s happening. I’m not someone who gets bothered doing ensembles or length of my role. I’ve done smaller roles just to share screen space with a particular actor. As Konstantin Stanislavski says, there are no small parts, only small actors,” she adds.

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Author tweets @Shreya_MJ