Netflix's 'Delhi Crime' created history to become the first Indian program to win the Best Drama Series award at the recently concluded prestigious 48th International Emmy Awards ceremony.
The awards which took place on November 23, were hosted virtually owning to the coronavirus pandemic. However, that did not take away from how big the victory was for the 'Delhi Crime' team and India, which got it's first ever Emmy. On the official website of the Emmy's, it was mentioned, "Drama Series Delhi Crime Wins First-Ever Emmy for an Indian Program."
Helmed by Richie Mehta, the seven-part series was spearheaded by powerful performances and talented actors like Shefali Shah, Adil Hussain, and Rajesh Tailang. Rasika Duggal and Abhilasha Singh also played their part to perfection.
The series was based on true events of the 2012 horrific Delhi Nirbhaya gang-rape case.
On this ecstatic occasion, DNA India had the opportunity to speak with Delhi Crime's lead actor Shefali Shah, who essayed the role of DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, in an exclusive tête-à-tête.
During the conversation, expressing her excitement and talking about her first reaction when the announcement of the show winning the Best Drama Series at the Emmy's was made, Shefali said, "I was screaming like a lunatic. I was just over the moon. I can't even describe what it feels like. I was just screaming with joy."
"I was watching it live with my younger son. My family was sitting with me and watching it. My elder one was out, so, he was the first one I called. After that I wanted to make a couple of calls, but, before I could do that, I started getting calls," Shefali stated.
She added, "The first thing I wanted to do was talk to Richie (Mehta), but he, of course, wouldn't be free. So, I just texted him and I said whenever you have the time or we can talk later." "I was excited and wanted to share it with my family, friends and the team."
On being asked what was the difficult part of playing DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, Shefali told DNA, "All of it. It wasn't easy. If I had the craft of acting, I probably wouldn't have been good at it. But, I follow my instinct, my gut and my natural reaction. What I showed was what I felt. For me, it was not about acting or becoming it, I just had to be her. There's no other way I know how to do this."
Shefali added, "We all felt so strongly when the Nirbhaya case happened, so all that anger and frustration and the need for justice, all of that was pent up and held back inside all of us. It was a scar that was never going to heal. Over here, I could express all of it."
Speaking about the awards ceremony being a virtual event and not a physical one that the team could attend, Shefali said, "This year has taken away such important moments from all of us. But, it doesn't take away from the joy that we have won this."
"Of course, I would have wanted to be at an event and more than that I wanted to be with my team, wherever we could all be together," said Shefali.
While concluding the conversation, Shefali said, that while it is the show's award, it surely is for "Jyoti, it is for Nirbhaya, for women who suffer and it is for women who fight for their rights."
