There’s no better feeling than doing a film in my mother tongue: Helly Shah

Helly Shah, who recently completed shooting for the Gujarati film Deda, says, “Shooting for the film in Surat was a fun experience. I am a very proud Gujarati and there is no better feeling than doing a film in my mother tongue. Working with a talented filmmaker like Hema Shukla and co-actors like Gaurav Paswala was an enriching journey. This was the first time I stayed in Surat and shot for a film. Surat is famous for its mouth-watering food and I loved eating locho and aloo puri.”

She adds, “While I can’t reveal much about the film, it’s an emotionally rich story. These days, while we get to see a lot of thrillers, emotionally rich content thoda sa kam hone laga hai. That was one of the main reasons behind me taking up this film. It is great to see regional cinema evolving so much in terms of content and storytelling. Thanks to OTT platforms, one can now watch films from different regional industries sitting at home and if the content is good, people will watch it irrespective of the language. Some wonderful Gujarati films have been made in the last 10 years and actors want to be associated with our industry now. I had been looking for a good script for a very long time. I am excited because I am optimistic that audiences will like the film.”

‘I have an exciting OTT project in the pipeline’

Helly, who made her OTT debut with Gullak 4 last year, says that she is “super excited” about her upcoming OTT project. “All I can say at this point is that it’s the kind of role that audiences have not seen me doing before,” she shares.

Asked about the possibility of making a comeback on television, the Diya Aur Baati Hum, Laal Ishq and Sufiyana Pyaar Mera actress tells us, “I never said that I won’t take up another TV project. While it was a conscious choice to take a break after Ishq Mein Marjawan 2 (2021), I am open to doing any role that is exciting and different from what I have done earlier. The medium doesn’t matter. As an actor, you never say never.”

Helly, who started her journey in showbiz as a teenager in 2010, adds, “While I am very passionate about what I do, taking that break was very important for me. I got to spend some much-needed time with myself and my loved ones, attended workshops and watched content, which helped me learn and unlearn a few things. I feel it has made me a better actor and human being. I want 2025 to be a very wholesome year not just for me, but for all my loved ones. There will be ups and downs, but you have to accept things gratefully and be mature enough to handle everything.”