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Shefali Shah Reveals Amitabh Bachchan Recommended Her for Waqt
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News18•05-10-2026, 16:00
Shefali Shah Reveals Amitabh Bachchan Recommended Her for Waqt
- •Shefali Shah revealed that her husband and director Vipul Shah initially wanted Jaya Bachchan for the mother's role in the 2005 film Waqt
- •Amitabh Bachchan ultimately recommended Shefali Shah's name for the role, which her husband could not turn down
- •Playing Akshay Kumar's mother in her early 30s significantly impacted the types of roles she was offered afterward, labeling her for motherly characters
- •Shah discusses this career-defining chapter and her fears of becoming typecast in her debut book titled The Audacity of Being
Key Questions Answered
Vipul Shah originally wanted veteran actor Jaya Bachchan for the role, and Hema Malini was also considered before the idea was dropped to avoid similarities to Baghban.
After falling in love with the play's character and being initially turned down by her husband, Shefali Shah secured the role when Amitabh Bachchan recommended her name.
Playing an older character in her 30s negatively affected the kind of roles she was offered afterward, as she was bombarded with stereotypical mommy roles and feared becoming the industry's next Nirupa Roy.
