Rachel Shelley played the second lead in Lagaan, her only Hindi film, before she found fame in American television
Lagaan, which released in 2001, is one of the most iconic films of Indian cinema. Not only was it a box office success, but it earned an Oscar nomination for Bollywood too. The film was a breakthrough for many in the support cast. But for one actress, it remains her only Hindi film. That was Rachel Shelley, who played the ‘gori mem’ Elizabeth in the Aamir Khan-starrer. A look at her career in Hollywood and beyond since Lagaan
1. Who is Rachel Shelley?
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Rachel Shelley is a British actress born in Wiltshire, England in 1969. She began her acting career in 1994 with a short film called Broken Heart before doing small roles in films and episodic roles in British shows throughout the 1990s.
2. Rachel Shelley in Lagaan
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In 2000, she was cast by Ashutosh Gowariker in his ambitious film Lagaan, where she played the second lead alongside Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, and Paul Blackthorne
3. Rachel Shelley after Lagaan
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Following Lagaan’s success, Shelley went back to the UK to do more films and even appeared in Hollywood films and American TV shows
4. Rachel Shelley in The L Word
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Apart from Lagaan, internationally, Shelley is best known for playing Helena Peabody in the American TV show The L Word, which aired from 2005-09. Shelley joined the cast in season 2 and was part of the main cast till the show’s conclusion in season 6.
5. Why is The L Word special?
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The L Word, which follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women in California, is considered one of the first mainstream American shows to depict graphic LGBTQ intimate scenes and include television's first ensemble cast of lesbian and bisexual female characters
6. Rachel Shelley’s comeback in India
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In 2023, Shelley returned to Indian screens after 22 years with a supporting role in the Netflix thriller Kohrra. The crime thriller stars Barun Sobti and Suvinder Vicky in the lead roles and features Shelley as a British woman who comes to India following a tragedy
