Shilpa in a shot from the video. (Courtesy: Shilpa Shetty)
Sushmita Sen has been receiving huge praises for her brilliant portrayal of Shreegauri Sawant in the web series Taali. Shilpa Shetty is in awe of Sushmita's performance and she posted a video on her Instagram to share her feelings about the show. In the video, we can see Shilpa claps thrice and says "Wah" three times before she shares her thoughts about the show. Shilpa said in the video, "Whatever I will say, will not be sufficient to praise this show. I have binge-watched the entire season. I must say, it's one of the most thought-provoking shows. I have become emotional. Taali talks about the life of Shreegauri Sawant, a transgender activist, who has fought for the rights and recognitions of the third gender in India. A community whose voice can't be suppressed anymore. The narrative is really intense, making you question so much. The story of Gauri's fight needs to be told, heard and celebrated."
For Sushmita Sen, Shilpa Shetty has these words to say, "You are just brilliant, Sush. You embraced the character so effortlessly and you shine so bright... doing complete justice to the story." Shilpa clapped one more time at the end of her speech and dedicated it to Sushmita.
In the caption, Shilpa wrote, "Just wanted to appreciate all the clap-worthy work on #Taali! The way @shreegaurisawant's life and vision were portrayed was brave and heart-wrenching! @sushmitasen47 is brilliant and shines in this show. Hats off to the entire team. I loved it, this is a must watch on @officialjiocinema so that we as a society can become more accepting and kind."
Take a look at Shilpa's post here:
After the trailer of the show dropped, Sushmita Sen shared in an interview with News 18, how Shreegauri reacted to the trailer. "She came to me, blessed me, kissed my forehead and gave me a gift. She told me, 'I don't want to watch. Yeh jo kar rahi hai, sahi kar rahi hai. Yeh meri marble chi murti hai [What ever she is doing, she is doing right. She is my marble statue]."
Asked about whether a transgender could have played the role instead of Sushmita, the former Miss Universe told The Indian Express, "I think in a greater conversation they are not wrong. It is time all talented people are hired for the job irrespective of their gender or if the role demands it. But in this case, firstly Gauri chose me. I didn't know about this show, had no idea. She made sure that the makers approached me with the offer. I will forever remain in her debt for it allowed me a bigger voice through her story. So that doesn't trouble me because it just it's not a general story but her story. She has every right to choose."
Shreegauri Sawant, a transgender activist and the trustee of the Sai Savli Foundation Trust, has worked for the people suffering from HIV/AIDS. Taali has been written by Kshitij Patwardhan and directed by Ravi Jadhav. It is being produced by Kartk D Nishandar, Arjun Singh Baran and Afeefa Nadiadwala Sayed.