Actor Shefali Shah has spent years bringing other people’s stories to life on screen. With her debut book, The Audacity of Being: A Sort-of Memoir, published on October 1, 2026, she turns her attention to her own experiences, perspectives and the choices that have shaped her life and career.
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Shefali opened up about what prompted her to write the book, why she initially considered fiction instead of a memoir, and how she decided which parts of her personal life to share. She also explained why humour was an important part of the writing process and how her experiences as an actor eventually became part of the narrative. Why Shefali Shah decided to write her own story Writing was not an entirely new pursuit for Shefali. The actor had previously maintained a blog and regularly shared her thoughts on social media. “I’ve been writing for quite some time. I had a blog, and I write on social media. I enjoy it. I’m not waiting for someone else to give me something to do. I put in what I feel, what is my perception of things,” she said.
Although the idea of a book had been suggested to her before, Shefali said, “I wanted to start with fiction. And they were like, your first book has to be a novel. It can’t be a novella. And we want you to, your first book should be a memoir. So I was not very convinced with it.”
Shefali eventually considered the suggestion, acknowledging that her publisher had more experience in the business. She also found a sense of ownership in being able to tell her own story in her own words.
“I have copyright over my own story,” she said. The actor added that she has written some fiction, although she is unsure what will happen to that work in the future. Why humour was important to her memoir Shefali also wanted The Audacity of Being: A Sort-of Memoir to be an engaging read rather than a serious account that offered definitive conclusions about life. Humour, she explained, was central to the tone she wanted to establish.
“I didn’t want it to be a moral of the story. And very important, I wanted it to be a fun read,” she said.
She added that she wanted humour to play a significant role in the book, allowing readers to move through the stories easily rather than feel that they were being told what to think or learn.
How Shefali Shah’s acting career became part of the book The book did not begin with a fixed structure or a single subject that Shefali wanted to explore. As she worked on the manuscript, conversations with her publisher encouraged her to revisit other aspects of her life.
“Originally, when it started, it was becoming a personal memoir. But then we also realised that the parts I play are a huge part of me as a person and why I chose them and what went into creating them. And that’s how those chapters started coming,” she said.
Shefali explained that the memoir gradually evolved as these different elements came together, rather than following a rigid plan from the beginning. “It was all of it just put together,” she said.
Ultimately, the actor has left the interpretation of her experiences to her readers. She does not expect the book to offer one definitive message or a prescribed takeaway. “I don’t know what people are going to take out of it,” she said.
With The Audacity of Being: A Sort-of Memoir, Shefali Shah brings together her personal reflections and professional experiences while leaving room for readers to form their own understanding of the stories she shares.
Also Read: Shefali Shah breaks silence on writing about her first marriage and divorce with Harsh Chhaya: “I’ve written about it very respectfully”
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