‘Kanta Laga’ made Shefali Jariwala a name that every household knew. However, she decided to not let the fame get to her head and play it slow. Despite being an overnight sensation, she decided to take it slow and steady. Soon enough, she was forgotten and remembered as just another one-hit wonder.
But with ‘Bigg Boss’ and then subsequently social media, Shefali Jariwala has made a smashing comeback. She is constantly making headways for her fashion and fitness posts on social media and has amassed a massive fan following. Talking to Prateek Sur, the ‘Kanta Laga’ girl opens up about what happened after the massive success of the music video, why she moved away, and how she has used social media to once again become that top star. She even talks about how she can't handle the pressure of being in the limelight all the time.
Excerpts from the candid conversation:
You were the topmost actress after the success of ‘Kanta Laga’ back in 2002-03. Was it a conscious decision to not take up a million projects and ride high on that success?
When ‘Kanta Laga’ was released I became an overnight star. I have still not been able to digest the success of ‘Kanta Laga’. I was a middle-class girl coming from a very simple Gujrati family and suddenly in the limelight, it was very difficult to handle. We came from a very academic family, and we knew nothing about the entertainment industry or how it works, and I was very young. I was only 17 and we didn't have anybody to guide us. So, the strategy for that time was to go slow, in order to protect myself. Also, I suffered from a condition called epilepsy and I could not take up too much work because of the seizures that I suffered, and I had to maintain a balance to get enough rest, take care of my mental and physical well-being. So that was also of paramount importance to me. I was also starting to be an engineer and also going to college and getting work done there. So, too many things were going on and hence we were slow with the picking up of projects after ‘Kanta Laga’. It was a conscious decision, and I am just glad we went slow because we got our time to understand how things work. We got the right people to guide us and later on in life we could also concentrate on my health and it all just worked out fine.
You’re making headways through social media. You’re a star on Instagram and people love you there. How has social media helped you reach out to your fans once again?
It's the era of social media. It's huge now and being a celebrity, social media is very important because you’ve got to put yourself out there, you’ve got to remain relevant. For me, social media is a platform where I get to have meaningful and genuine engagement with my fans. I love talking to them and giving them a little sneak peek into my life and behind-the-scenes of it all, and they love it. I receive a lot of love and support and encouragement from social media that really keeps me going. Also, I am a very private person and I believe that I make a better impression on people when they don't know me too well. I don't cross that line. It's not like I am posting every single thing that I am doing, on social media. I am not one of those people who’re constantly clicking selfies and putting them up on social media. I don't think I can do that. It's not good for me. It makes me very anxious also. So, I limit my social media time. Sometimes I do it every day but for me, remaining relevant, yes, it helps me, but more so that I can engage with my fans and talk to them in a meaningful way and create a good experience for them as well as for me. That's what social media is for me.
Do you think audience validation on social media is important for you?
If one is looking for validation on social media, I think it's the wrong place to be. Social media is the place for me where get to connect with my fans and followers, have good meaningful relationships with them, talk about things that are close to my heart, make my announcements, and work projects are largely relevant because you are not constantly shooting, or you are not having back-to-back releases. So, it's important in today's time to remain relevant. So, social media helps me do that. If I am going to start looking for validation then I am going to go nuts because you have a lot of these mindless trolls, and idiotic comments coming in every now and then that can really mess with your head. So, you got to limit, or draw some lines and limits with my social media time. I love talking about what's going on in my life if I am on vacation if there is something wonderful that I have eaten somewhere at some restaurant, etc. I like to share my experiences with the social media audience and I get love and encouragement from there. I take it all and I use it in the work but I am never seeking any sort of validation on social media. Also, social media I think helps you clear a lot of air sometimes you can put your opinions out there. If there are any false narratives you can make clarifications so you can use them very positively for a lot of things, but definitely not validation.
You prefer to do a few projects on and off and stay away from parties and the day-to-day hullaballoo of paparazzi. Is it a conscious choice? If yes, why?
I am a very private person. I am not one of those people who will be party hopping all night, gallivanting around town to be clicked. This whole paparazzi thing also, I appreciate them, and they are nice, but you can't let that get to you. There is too much pressure then, to be looking good all the time. I don't want to think about what I am wearing to the gym or what I am wearing when I am travelling. I like to be comfortable. There are some parties that you have to attend, and I put in my effort and I try to look good there, not because I am going to be clicked by the paparazzi. I do it for myself. Sometimes you want to step out and you want to look good. That's a kind of self-love. So, that's what I do.
What about work insecurities?
Being in this industry for so long now I’m very secure. I don’t need to pick up work that comes my way. I am in a position to become choosy about the work that I want to do. I only do work that makes me happy. I like to travel the world. I need personal time also. I don't want to be also working 365 days a year. I like to enjoy my life and live my life. I have a family. I have a personal life. I have responsibilities. So, I try and keep both of that separate.
It is said that celebs don’t have a private life, and everything is for the public eye. Do you still prefer to stay low-key?
Once you are a celebrity everything is out in the open you don't really have a personal life. It’s all public then. Who am I to judge those people who want to remain in the limelight and why not. I mean today there will be a big problem for me if I’m not in the limelight. But you got to pick and choose how you want to do it. You can't open yourself out to the world so much. Like I mentioned earlier, I think I make a better impression on people when they don't know me that well and I think you can't also make yourself so available to the audiences, that it kind of loses the charm. You have to draw a line somewhere. You have to enjoy the limelight also. I mean I try to remain private too because that gives me enough space. It makes me happy. I can't handle the pressure of being in the limelight all the time, so for myself, I have drawn a line but to each his own. There are some people who can handle the pressure and love to remain in the limelight at all times, and that's great for them, but I have to see what works for me. Keeping a balance works for me really well, and that's what I opt to do.
