Kaanta Laga directors Radhika Rao & Vinay Sapru remember how they discovered Shefali Jariwala for their music video
Shefali Jariwala with Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru
Shefali Jariwala, best known as the Kaanta Laga girl, passed away on June 27. Her sudden death has come as a shock to everyone. Shefali's journey to fame began when, at 19, she became a rage for her Kaanta Laga video.
Radhika Rao
and
Vinay Sapru
, the directors who introduced Shefali to the entertainment industry through the music video, shared their grief and memories of her with Mumbai Mirror.
'We can't believe that Shefali is no more. We got the news around 1.30 am. A common friend called us, and the whole night has been traumatic,' said Vinay.
Recounting the time when they discovered Shefali and launched her career, the duo recalled, 'Her entire journey has been with us.
We still remember that day vividly. We were driving down Linking Road in Bandra when we spotted this young girl hugging her mother while riding on a scooter. There was something about her — this innocence, this spark. We looked at each other and instantly felt that she had something special, something that could stir the entire nation.
'
Radhika and Vinay described Shefali as a dedicated learner who followed direction with enthusiasm.
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'We called her to our office for an audition. She had this incredible energy like nothing we had seen before. During the audition we just fell in love with her innocent, raw spirit. She was only 19 at the time. That was the beginning of the journey. We started rehearsals for the Kaanta Laga song. She was studying engineering and had no industry exposure, but her energy was absolutely infectious.
We rehearsed every single day for over a month-and-a-half.
We worked on her styling, her costume, her hairstyle and everything.'
Sharing a heartwarming memory from the rehearsals, Radhika said, 'I remember, it was her birthday, and her parents or sister had gifted her pure white denims. She wore that to the rehearsals. We asked her if she wanted to take the day off, but she said, 'No, I want to rehearse.' That's the kind of girl she was, innocent, driven, and so sincere. At the end of the day, when she realised her white denims were soiled, she teared up.
'
Once the video for Kaanta Laga released, Shefali's rise was meteoric. Vinay recalled, 'When Kaanta Laga released, I remember Bhushan ji [T-Series] called us and said, 'Aag lag gayi hai pure country mein.' The reaction from the industry was massive. And then one day, Shefali came to our office with two copies of the Bombay Times — she was on the front page. She was so excited, holding those papers, glowing with happiness.
The rest, as they say, is history.'
'Shefali came to our office just two weeks ago'
As soon as they heard the tragic news, memories of their early days working with Shefali came rushing back. 'Radhika, Shefali, and I built that beginning together. In fact, she came to our office just two weeks ago. She said, 'Let's make a new plan for life. I'm 40 now, and I want to start something fresh.' She brought pastries for everyone from our favourite Japanese pastry shop and we were all sitting there, making plans for the future,' Vinay shared.
Radhika added, 'She was always so well-dressed. She lived a happy life. Some people are God's favourites, and he calls them early. Shefali was one of those. We will miss her immensely. We are shattered it feels like we've lost a member of our own family. We walked this journey of life together. Wherever you are, Shefali we love you, and we will miss you deeply.'
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