Shefali Jariwala is an Indian actress who has appeared in several English and Hindi music videos, Reality shows and a Kannada film. She became noted when she appeared in a famous music video “Kaanta Laga” in 2002. Later, she appeared in a dance reality show Nach Baliye 5 with her boyfriend. In 2018, she played female protagonist in ALT Balaji’s web series “Baby Come Naa” opposite Shreyas Talpade. Recently she participated in the reality show Bigg Boss 13 as a contestant.
Women Fitness joins the superbly talented actress Shefali Jariwala on her journey to fame and fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Your Bollywood debut started with your acclaimed performance in the song ‘Kanta Laga’in the year 2002. Since then there has been no looking back. Share with us your journey in the field of entertainment to making a mark for yourself?
Ms. Shefali Jariwala:
My journey since I did “KANTA LAGA” has been nothing short of a fairy tale. I used to be a girl, simple girl, coming from a middle class family studying engineering at that time. I was just hanging out with a few friends of mine outside my college and that’s where the directors Radhika and Vinay saw me and offered me the song which I wanted to do just for the pocket money and the fun of it. But my parents didn’t seem to be very happy with the decision.
Since I come from a family full of professionals, we didn’t have anybody who was ever associated with the film industry or the entertainment industry in the past seven generations. So it was a difficult decision for my parents to let me do the song. And once the song was released, it was an instant hit and it changed my life. And then, of course, there was no looking back. I did, however, finish my education because that’s the promise that my father had taken from me, that irrespective, I had to finish my education.
So I continued to study for three more years after Kanta Laga, but was swamped with Stage shows and appearances and performances all over the world. I performed with everybody from Shah Rukh sir to Salman Sir to Akshay Sir to everybody, the top notches of the industry and I got an opportunity to do a very big film David Dawan where I performed on my own song Kanta Laga with Akshay Sir. I also had some work with Salman Sir, so it was a huge one for me.
Since then, there’s always been something that I’ve been doing. I’ve been reinventing myself. I did Nach Baliye 5 and 7 again and now big boss. I did this and once the whole web OTT platform opened up, I did two very huge web series directed by Farhad Samji. And it has been a great journey. It’s been slow because I’m very, very selective about the work that I do because I believe in quality over quantity. So everything that I’ve put out there is very high quality.
People know me. People love me. People have supported me. Big Boss 13 happened. And, you know, the fan following reached another level. It happened to be one of the most successful seasons of all times. And my performance has been appreciated a lot. So yea, I mean, from 2002 to 2020, 18 long years in the industry, still doing a lot of work. Still, people love me. People like me. People appreciate my work.
They support me all the way. So, yeah, I think I’m very fortunate. And the Journey has been very beautiful. And, you know, with Bigg boss 13, I feel that a new journey has started for me. I’ve been able to reinvent myself now. And I used to be known as a performer, a dancer before. But now people know me and my personality the way I am. My transition to acting has been accepted very well.
So it adds, it’s time. I again reinvented myself, and I’m looking forward to another few years of doing some really good work.
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2020 Women Fitness Org
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You were recently part of Bigg Boss 13 that got the highest TRPS as compared to all seasons, talk about your journey and why did you think about being a part of the show?
Ms. Shefali Jariwala:
Oh, my Bigg boss journey was nothing short of a roller coaster ride, I had never followed any of the previous seasons and Bigg Boss was offered to me time and again, in fact all the way from the first season. But I was a different person back then, a lot more naive and Bigg boss is the baap of all reality shows and you need to be really, really strong in order to survive in the big box. I was mentally, physically and every which way.
So I don’t know. I think also certain things are destined. I mean, when this Bigg boss was offered to me, everything fell in place. And then, of course, one of the biggest reasons for doing Bigg boss was Salman Sir. So Yeah, so that was Bigg boss for me. It was a rollercoaster ride. I was in for 13 weeks. It’s longer than most seasons, actually. This season was extended by five weeks, so I was eliminated two weeks short of the finale.
But yeah, I mean, I was considered as a very strong contender. And you know, I did make my mark in the Bigg boss house. And it’s really, really tough. You know, it’s not as easy as it looks in living, you know, away from the world, absolutely cut off from the outside world and all with that many people and limited rashan. And you’ve got to, you know, survive the daily challenges and the tasks that are given to be performed in the Bigg boss house.
So it’s not as easy as it looks. I mean, the game is about willpower, patience and courage. And in fact, this season being the top rated season, it was because there were so many good players usually there are three -two good players, as I’m told. But this year every single participant was a good player and which is why I think the content was great and Bigg boss was, you know, the highest ever TRP of all the seasons.
So I’m glad that it also happened. This year, I was part of the season that was the most successful seasons. I think everything happens for the best all these years for some reason or the other, I did not do Bigg Boss. And this year when I decided to do it, it had to be this way because it was going to be at the highest, highest rated season ever. And I think I’m really, really lucky with things in my life.
You know, right from the moment Kanta Laga was offered to me, I believe I am God’s child. I’m very lucky. You know, every time I decide that I wanted to do something different, things just fall into my lap. I’ve never had to struggle. But, yeah, I work very, very hard and much disciplined. And I give my 1000 percent to anything that I’m committed to do. So I guess that’s the reason why I could also make my mark in the Bigg boss house without knowing anything about the show before entering the house.
And yeah, so I thank my stars.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
When you were lockdown in the house for 3months, how did you maintain your diet and workout routine considering the limited food options?
Ms. Shefali Jariwala:
Yea, been locked up for 13 weeks, so, you know, diet and your fitness routine can take a toss. Because we are used to eating, very very, extremely healthy and protein rich food at home. But in the big boss house, we were given a limited ration and we didn’t have the luxury of picking and choosing what we wanted to eat. The same food was made for everybody, and most of the times it fell short or there were these other friends of mine who were hungry and I used to give them my share of food.
But I think it all worked out fine because I did have my protein powder with me inside the house. They did have a limited sort of workout setup and I used to try and work out every single day. I’ve been working out for a lot of years and I think that is probably the reason why 13 weeks in the Big Boss House didn’t really do much damage to my fitness because the body has now adapted to that sort of lifestyle.
So if I have sudden weeks of not working out that religiously, it doesn’t really matter. Plus, I think that we perform very, very physical and very, very strenuous tasks. So, you know I think that I was getting my workouts three times a week, extremely strenuous workouts just by participating in the task. So, yeah. So I try to work out every day. We had a small pool.
I used to use the pool, you know, for resistance training. I used to. I’m very used to doing heavy weights. I kind of work out like a man in the gym. And of course, we have the people in the house who are also very particular about fitness. So we had this little group of ours that used to work out together and it was not really that bad. You know, I mean that when there’s a will, there’s a way.
I did find the time to work out every single day. And I did watch my diet. I tried to consume less oil and I tried to get a lot of fiber. And for the protein part of it, I had my protein powders. I used to have a protein shake every day. I love milk. So I used to drink a lot of milk in the house and it just worked out fine for me.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What is your favourite form of exercise? How do you workout?
Ms. Shefali Jariwala:
For me, my favourite exercise, I think any exercise is great exercise. I wake up in the morning and start my day with an hour on the stationary bike. I kind of like cycling because it’s gentle on my knees and it’s a spin bike.
So, you know, if you know how to do it, you can kind of work out on all parts of your body. I do ashtanga yoga, advanced ashtanga yoga.
I’ve been doing that for a long time as well. So I really like yoga that helps me with my stretching and my lung capacity, the breathing exercises and kind of for the mind. It’s a great workout, for the mind as well as the body. So I do love yoga and I go to the gym three times a week. I do have a personal trainer and we try and do various different kinds of exercises and different routines every now and then to give the body a shot.
But yeah, one thing, that I do extremely heavy weights and because I believe that if you want to look like a goddess, you’ve got to train like a beast. So I do train like a man. I do train like a beast. And I guess I have a very strong core. I have developed it through the years. And I was always a chubby kid. You know, in my early 20s, I thought I was chubby.
I look back at myself now, even when I shot for Kaanta Laga I seemed very chubby. And as you are aging, you know, you as a woman especially, you have to make sure that you keep your weight under control because it tends to get difficult as you age, you know, to drop the weight. So I make sure that I don’t, you know, from my range of weight, I don’t kind of put on more than 2 kilos ever, because then it becomes difficult to, you know, take longer also from being a lot of effort to drop that.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you follow any particular diet? What is a big no-no in your diet?
Ms. Shefali Jariwala:
As far as diet is concerned.
I’m not much of a foodie anyways. I don’t have a sweet tooth. So I think that what works really well for me through the week, I’m eating extremely healthy, getting my protein. So my dinner is always salads.
And some dal there are nights you want to sleep better. I eat a little rice then. That’s absolutely all right. You know, it’s all about portion control. So I eat everything. But, you know, I might keep that portion control in check.
And one day in a week or one meal is a cheat meal for me. And I don’t hesitate eating whatever I want to eat, whatever the mood is, you know, whether it is Chinese takeout or, you know, desserts or anything that I want, anything that my heart desires. So I do reward my body and myself with one cheat meal in a week. You know, for all the hard work and all the discipline, you know, it’s important to do that.
So, yeah, and I also believe that the body’s made in the kitchen and not in the gym. 80 percent of your body depends on what you eat and what is cooked in your kitchen. You know, and gym is just for strengthening and toning up. But even if I didn’t have the gym around, if I just eat right, that would not cause much harm to my body. So I do eat right. I eat healthy and I reward myself every now and then with a cheat meal.
And I think that just works fine for me.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Who did you consider the fittest in the Bigg Boss house among the ladies?
Ms. Shefali Jariwala:
In the Bigg boss house, I don’t want to sound prudent, but I think I was the fittest lady in the house. I have a lot of endurance power and I’m extremely strong. I do have a lot of strength and always I was the only one in the house that used to really watch my diet and try and get an exercise every day. So, yeah, I was, the fittest lady in the house.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Besides being fit, you have flawless skin, share any top 5 skincare regime you follow?
Ms. Shefali Jariwala:
As far as skin is concerned, I must tell you that you are what you eat. You know the condition the state of the stomach really shows onto your skin. So if you’re eating clean, if you’re drinking a lot of water, your skin will always be great. I’m not blessed with the best skin. I do have, you know, normal to oily skin and walking out in the sun a lot, I get burned very easily.
So but I follow very simple skincare. I try and use organic products as much as possible. Nothing fancy. To be very honest, some of my scrubs are made at home. Face packs are made at home. So yeah, it’s important to, you know, exfoliate your skin regularly. That’s very important. And I use a lot of vitamin c-based products to keep the skin healthy. I drink a lot of water.
Eat healthy food. Exercise, yoga. I think everything in combination contributes to great skin. It is not one thing in particular, but I do have a skin doctor that I go to for regular treatments, for regular chemical peels, and there are times that I break out into pimples as well. So you don’t. That’s the time I go down on my oily food consumption and I know that the body’s in stress, so I try and get adequate sleep.
These are the things that you really need to do for a great skin. And it’s not just one thing. It’s a lot of things in combination workouts, yoga, exercise and healthy eating. Lot of water and quality skincare products. I like the organic ones.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What are your upcoming future projects and plans?
Ms. Shefali Jariwala:
As far as our upcoming projects are concerned, to be very honest with you, all my shows, all the way up to the month of June, are indefinitely postponed due to the corona virus outbreak. I was in talk you know, with one leading channel for a very wonderful show. I was looking forward to. But I guess that has also got postponed. I had signed up about two web series post my Bigg boss, but that has also got postponed.
So upcoming projects. There’s nothing that I’ve already shot for that you will be seeing very soon, but I’m hoping things will normalize soon and we’ll all get back to work. And once things are more concrete, I can announce my projects.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have a huge following of 1.3m Followers on your Instagram handle @shefalijariwala, one message for your fans who aim at making it to the industry?
Ms. Shefali Jariwala:
The message I’d like to give to my fans on how to break into the industry is that, you know, everybody will talk about hard work and dedication and working on yourself. But I also believe you need to be at the right place at the right time. So luck coupled with hard work, is a great recipe for success in this industry. You’ve got to keep working hard. Artist life is not easy at all. We don’t have weekends off.
It’s an ongoing process. And you learn and you evolve. You know, as you’re working, as you grow. I never had I’d never learn dancing in my life. I was not a trained dancer when I got Kanta Laga I worked hard and, you know, and that’s why I looked great even today. I’ve never taken there’s not a single day in my life that I have taken anything very lightly, you know, anything whether it is a stage show or are acting or anything that I do, I give it my best.
It’s very exhausting. But then that’s what you got to do. But have the faith and not to give up is the mantra you need to keep going on and on the right things will happen. Get your right break and you will get good in the industry. You know, if you’re intent is right, all the other people out there who always supported me and loved me and encouraged me. I’m truly, truly grateful for your support.
And I just hope you continue to give me all the love in the future. And I can continue to entertain you just like I have in the past. I thank you so much. And I really appreciate all the love and support that has come my way. So thank you once again.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2020 Women Fitness Org