‘I’m waiting for the right scripts’

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She marvels at Dhanush’s flirtatious one-liners as he hits on his childhood sweetheart Sonam Kapoor in Raanjhanaa. Delhi girl Shilpi Marwah, who is seen playing Sonam’s friend and Abhay Deol’s sister in the film, is being appreciated for her short but important cameo. A known name in the city theatre circle, Shilpi is riding high after the success of the film. Though she is busy considering offers from Bollywood, Shilpi says she wants to do films that highlight social issues.
“Working in a film was an exciting experience but I don’t want to be a part of commercial cinema. I would rather like to do hard-hitting films that take up social issues. Directors like Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee are taking up some very untouched and interesting issues,” says Shilpi.
However, Shilpi’s first Bollywood offer came to her when she least expected it. “I have been working with Asmita theatre group for seven years now and director Anand Rai and actor Sonam Kapoor were a part of one of our street play workshops. Since the film has shots of Sonam doing street acts, the team had decided to attend the workshop. Once the workshop got over, I got a call from Anand sir’s office for the role which was a surprise to me,” says Shilpi, who was not nervous about facing the camera.
“It did not make me nervous at all since what I was doing in the film is what I have been doing in my theatre group. Also, the team was very supportive and helpful. Sonam and Dhanush, in spite of being such big stars, are very much down to earth and I am very lucky to get my first chance in Bollywood with such humble and talented actors,” says Shilpi.
Since the film’s release, Shilpi has been showered with compliments from friends and family. It’s a very nice feeling to be appreciated, says Shilpi. She says, “As an actor my only aim is to give my best. An actor should not shy away from challenges and I am open to all kinds of roles as long as it excites me. Rani Mukerji’s role in Bombay Talkies is the kind of character I would like to portray, therefore I am waiting for good scripts to come my way.”