Shefali Jariwala’s discovery for ‘Kanta Laga’: “Saw that young girl on the back of the scooter.. And we have found our doll,” says Vinay Sapru - Exclusive

Shefali Jariwala, or as the world calls her, the ‘Kanta Laga Girl’, became a pop culture phenomenon with her debut music video. Vinay Sapru and Radhika Rao, the directors of the song, to date, can’t forget how captivated they felt when they first spotted their doll! Her innocence and infectious energy were off the chart, and everything about her worked in favour of both Shefali and the song.

Today, unfortunately, that doll with the million-dollar smile and charismatic personality is no more among us. However, her memories have not faded away. Recalling her, director Vinay Sapru shared how Shefali Jariwala was discovered for ‘Kanta Laga’ and the hard work that went behind the song. Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

“One day, we were driving on the linking road, and parallel to us came a scooter on which an elderly person, who was Shefali's mother, and a young girl holding her mother were riding. Radhika and I both saw that young girl on the back of the scooter, and I said, ‘I think we have found our doll.’ And so we stopped them at the next signal.”

“We conversed with them, asked them who they were, and also whether they would be interested. Because we, as directors and curators, felt that she was just right. But we did not know whether she was interested or not. So we just left our number and business card with her, asking her to come to the office the next day for auditions. And she came, and then we came to know that she is an engineering student from Bhavani College in Andheri, Bandra. She had no experience with a camera or acting.”

“She then started the audition, and she was all over the place, her hands and legs all over the place. But Radhika and I were watching, and the only thing that struck us at that time was the innocence and the confidence and the charm of like a walking, talking, living doll that she was. She was throwing flying kisses to the camera, and she was like thanking the camera. And that infectious energy she had was irresistible.”

“We told her, you are our Doll, we were looking for. But we asked her that you are studying, how are you going to manage it? Because you need to be ready to face the camera, you will need extreme rehearsals. She was jumping with joy, saying she would manage, and she did. She used to attend college in the mornings, and every evening she used to come for the rehearsals. We had not seen this kind of dedication that she had. Considering she had no experience, and they were not short rehearsals, extending to almost 3 to 4 months. But religiously, every evening, Sundays, she used to come over for the rehearsals.”

“We didn’t know what to make of her hairstyle, and then we came across this Japanese doll. And then we said, just put this hairstyle on her, you know. With those sharp two pleats and the hair coming on her forehead. And it was bang on! And there she was, ready for the camera."

“Four and a half months of rigorous practice, and even the shoot was not very easy. It was just a three-day shoot. So it used to run past midnight, because it was all her video, in every frame, she was there. And just a bundle of energy and positivity. Then, when the result came, she was like, she did not know what it was. But I still remember Bhushanji called up Radhika and me, and he says, ‘Aag lag gayi sab taraf hain.’ And it went off to such a flying start.”