What Is Actor Shefali Shah Reading This Month?

There’s something unsettling about the way Shefali Shah chooses her roles — and her books. The actress, who made audiences feel sorry for Neelam Mehra in Dil Dhadakne Do, who commanded respect for the steely Vartika Chaturvedi in Delhi Crime, and who gave us chills as Gauri Nath in Human, doesn’t gravitate toward easy stories. She seeks out the uncomfortable truths, the grey areas where heroes and villains blur into something far more human — and hence, far more disturbing.

Her bookshelf mirrors this perfectly. Here, Harper Lee’s childhood innocence sits alongside Asako Yuzuki’s culinary murders. The family loyalty of The Godfather shares space with the psychological unravelling of The Vegetarian. These aren’t books one picks up for comfort reading; they’re the kind that get under your skin and refuse to leave. Much like Shah’s performances, if there’s one thread tying them all together, it’s this: one may not always understand them, but they’ll never forget them.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

“A story of childhood, innocence, coming of age and family values,” Shah says. To Kill a Mockingbird is as relevant today as it ever was. Harper Lee’s debut novel, which won her the Pulitzer Prize, follows the story of a young girl named Scout Finch as she learns about racial discrimination. Her father, Atticus, is a lawyer who defends a black man, Tom Robinson, who was falsely accused of raping a white woman in the American South in the 1930s. Shah adds that the story is as much about prejudice as it is about inclusivity and standing up for what is right. “Seen through the eyes of a little girl, it takes us through her confusion,” she says. “Through her, we question what is and what should be” — what was worth fighting for then and still is today.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo introduces Lisbeth Salander, who Shah says is one of the most dynamic heroines she has ever encountered. “Right next to Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind, Clarissa Dalloway from Mrs. Dalloway and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice,” says Shah. She deems it to be a web of intrigue, suspense, retribution and redemption. It follows a journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who is assisted by Salander, a hacker, as they investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of a young woman from a rich Swedish family. “It is about Lisbeth’s fight against rape, violence and injustice; the fire within her to take revenge,” Shah continues. She also notes that interestingly, Blomkvist’s character closely resembles the author, Larsson.

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

“What can I say about The Godfather?” Shah asks. What she loves most about the classic book is its humanisation of the mafia to the point where she finds herself cheering for the underworld kingpins, the Corleone mafia family in the 1940s and ’50s, their succession battles and family politics. Loyalty, power, morality and violence — Mario Puzo’s book offers a rather unique look into the world of organised crime. “It’s a must read,” Shah says. “And watch the film (The Godfather, 1972) and the making of it too (The Offer, 2022).” A gift that truly keeps on giving.

Butter by Asako Yuzuki

A novel that follows the life of a journalist (Rika Machida) Asako Yuzuki’s Butter (translated into English by Polly Barton) tells the story of the investigation of Manako Kajii, a woman accused of killing men with her cooking. And the most chilling bit? It’s based on a real-life murder case in Japan. “She’s the antagonist who is actually the protagonist in this book,” Shah says about Kajii, whose name has been changed in the book. “She weaves a web of secrets and lies, almost hypnotising a journalist who, in pursuit of an interview, is completely mesmerised by her. She’s drawn to doing exactly what Manako chooses, even as she sits inside the prison serving a sentence.” According to Shah, this is a book one simply can’t put down.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Shah claims The Vegetarian by Han Kang to be a masterpiece; it won the International Booker Prize in 2016. “This book is not for the weak-hearted,” she warns. A rather stifling and unsettling story, it delves into the cacophony of a mind and the games it can play, “bringing you to your knees until you have no option but to surrender.” And when one does, they are left with inexplicable mysteries. The story is simple: a Korean woman named Yeong-Hye has a disturbing dream and decides to turn vegetarian. Narrated from the perspectives of her husband, brother-in-law and sister, it takes a much darker turn, talking instead about the brutalities of human existence.

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