Shalini Pandey’s debut in the Telugu film Arjun Reddy was a roaring success. She was seen as a medical student opposite Vijay Deverakonda, and the film was directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga.
In 2019, the same director made a Hindi remake of this blockbuster titled Kabir Singh, starring Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani in the lead.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s films have been repeatedly accused of being high on misogyny. Both films were at the centre of controversies with its plotline.
Shalini Pandey has just delivered a commendable performance in Dabba Cartel. A show led by a bunch of powerful women, Shalini playing one of the strong female characters, was asked if she would pick Arjun Reddy again today, if given a chance.
Shalini told Hindustan Times, “I had a lot of conviction at that time as well and now that I think of it, I might have added a little more to it because I was pretty naive then. Would I completely say no to it? No, as I was playing a character. Of course, at this time, I would have played it with much more conviction and much more understanding. But I also feel for that time, it was for the best that I did it with that rawness because the character needed that. Having said that, if I had to pick it today, I would pick it, but I would do it differently and maybe have different conversations with my director, to be honest.”
The actress also expressed her joy in getting to work with Shabana Azmi in Dabba Cartel.
She expressed, “My mum has kind of manifested Shabana (Azmi) ma’am in my life. I remember when I got into the film industry, she would keep saying that she wishes I get to work with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and Mrs. Shabana Azmi.”
Shalini concluded by saying that it has been a liberating experience to work on a show like Dabba Cartel.
