Shefali Shah reflects on her separation from Harsh Chhaya, opening up about emotional abuse, self-worth, and the courage it took to walk away from an unhappy marriage and choose happiness on her own terms
Shefali Shah and Harsh Chhaya
Shefali Shah has consistently championed women empowerment through her path-breaking roles, portraying strong, nuanced female characters. However, Shefali became strong in real life after a series of heartbreaking events. Opening up about one of the most defining chapters of her life, she candidly reflected on her decision to walk away from an unhappy marriage.
Shefali Shah on separation from Harsh Chhaya
Shefali Shah married Harsh Chhaya in 1994, and the couple separated in 2000. Later that same year, she married Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
Reflecting on that time, she revealed that she initially struggled to believe that she was enough to live a joyful life on her own terms. In an interview with Zoom, she recalled, “Nobody told me that you are enough. If you have great relationships, fantastic. But if you don’t, that’s not going to determine your value. Nobody told me that. And obviously, you go through things and you realise it yourself. It comes to a point where it’s make or break for you.”
The actress shared how an honest conversation with a close friend became a turning point. “A dear friend of mine asked me, ‘What if you never, ever find anyone in your life? Would you rather take that chance, or would you still continue to be in the marriage?’ And I said, ‘No, I will take that chance. If I have to live alone for the rest of my life, I will do it. But I cannot be somewhere that is not making me happy, that is not making me feel confident, that is not making me feel treasured.’”
Shefali Shah on emotional abuse
Shefali continued and spoke about how emotional abuse is equally damaging. “A lot of people go through it. A lot of us go through it. And you’re always told, and the constant question is, ‘Well, he didn’t hit you, right?’ Somehow, it becomes this mindset of ‘Yes, he didn’t hit me,’ meaning he shouted, screamed, said things like ‘you’re so foolish,’ but it’s fine, he only said it. What you don’t realise is the kind of damage that is doing to you. It breaks you completely as a person. And I so resonated with that post.”
Apart from the separation, the Delhi Crime actress also opened up about facing bullying and appearance-based judgments during her school years.
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