'Pay Disparity Is More Apparent Between Stars And Actors': Shefali Shah

'Delhi Crime' season 3 delves into the issue of human trafficking, inspired by the tragic 2012 case of baby Falak.

The cast and crew of Delhi Crime 3 in conversation with The Quint

(Photo Courtesy: The Quint)

In this interview with The Quint, the cast and crew of Netflix’s Delhi Crime season 3—Shefali Shah, Huma Qureshi, director Tanuj Chopra, producer Michael Hogan, and Tanya Bami, Series Head at Netflix India—share their thoughts on gender pay disparity in the industry, the emotional toll of their roles, and empathising with cops.

The latest season delves into the issue of human trafficking, inspired by the tragic 2012 case of baby Falak.

Speaking on immersing herself into her role, Shefali opened up about the great sense of responsibility she feels with depicting real stories. "There is a certain sense of power that comes with the part that I’m playing. I want to feel all of it, there is nothing I want to shy away from."

The actor also expressed how essaying the character of cop Vartika Chaturvedi has evoked a newfound appreciation for the challenges they face, stating that the show "highlighted how little power cops actually have."

There is an assumption that cops have a huge position of power. It's easy to blame them for not doing it right. When I got into this world I realised they're doing everything they can. You can bully a common cop, but the one you're fighting above you is so much bigger.

Shefali Shah

Director Tanuj also emphasised gaining a "huge amount of understanding and empathy for how challenging the job is", saying, "the energy to constantly be on top of a case, that drive is something that I’ve gained a lot of respect for."

He further highlighted the sensitivity with which the cast navigates dark and heavy themes such as human trafficking in the series, saying, "for the first month or two while developing it you feel sick. And then you get numb to it because it becomes a part of your life. We have ways of getting each other out of feelings of numbness."

You have to put your blinders on. You have to be a little distant from the characters to be able to execute your job.

Tanuj Chopra

Weighing in on the discourse around gender pay disparity in the industry, series newcomer Huma pointed out that more than salaries, there is a discrepancy in "what you’re allowed to make, how you’re allowed to do it and the budgets you get."

If there are two stars of equal stature, it is expected that the male stars will bring more eyeballs. It is not being said explicitly, but that’s the internal belief system, which needs to change.

Huma Qureshi

Shefali also addressed a different aspect of the conversation, noting that regardless of gender, there is a major gap between stars and actors.

It’s always made out to be about men and women, but I think the disparity is between stars and actors. Actors like me or Jaideep Ahlawat or Manoj Bajpayee are appreciated for the work we do, but it wouldn’t ever translate to anyone putting that entire show on us. OTT has changed that.

Shefali Shah

Huma also acknowledged OTT platforms like Netflix for making major positive strides in changing these inequalities.

Films don’t get made on excel sheets. They get made because you have great story that touches and moves people. OTT is changing the game by giving men and women an equal playing field. Otherwise shows like Delhi Crime or Maharani wouldn’t have worked.

Huma Qureshi

Delhi Crime 3 releases on Netflix on December 25. Watch the full interview here.