After Shefali Jariwala's Sudden Death, Mukesh Chhabra Says, "Pressure Of Looking Young Gives Actors More Stress"

The untimely death of actor and model Shefali Jariwala has led to widespread conversations in the film and television industry about the mental and physical pressures actors face, especially around age and appearance.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, casting director Mukesh Chhabra, opened up about the growing stress among actors, particularly young female artists, who fear being sidelined due to ageing.

"Most importantly, the pressures in their mind is that the work is limited and there are a lot of actors for it. Young females go through this pressure that they shouldn't look aged, we try to explain it to them actors have no age. I think the pressure of looking young gives them more stress," Chhabra said.

He added that many actresses feel that if they don't get a role now, they might start looking "aged" in the next couple of years, which would lead to being offered only mother or sister parts.

"The self-created doubt among actors has increased. Har koi ye pressure mein hai ki we are loosing age," he noted. Chhabra also urged actors not to fear ageing. "Age se darne ki zaroorat nahi hai kyunki yahan har age ke actor ke liye kaam hai, abhi films hain OTT hai," he said, highlighting the growing opportunities across platforms for performers of all age groups.

He also addressed the struggles faced by seasoned actors during their transition phase from playing leads to taking on character roles. "Established actors aur actress ko transition period (jab vo main lead kar rahe hote hain aur phir unke paas character role aane lagte hain age ki wajah se) ko gracefully accept karna chahiye," he advised. Chhabra further spoke about the immense stress young actors go through when they approach casting directors in search of work.

"Young actors jo aate hain mere paas unke bahut saare stress hote hain, financial, social, family aur time ka pressure ki itne saal ho gaye kuch nahi hua, bahut se log depress hokar wapas chale jaate hain," he said.

While the exact cause of Shefali Jariwala's death is yet to be confirmed, reports suggest a combination of cardiac arrest, low blood pressure, and gastric complications, with police not ruling out the impact of self-medication and anti-ageing treatments.