Shefali Shah starrer Delhi Crime 2 was released on August 26 and gained positive reviews from both, the audience and the critics. However, some of the social media users also pointed out how the actress’ character in the web show, DCP Vartika Chaturvedi was referred as ‘Madam sir’ by her colleagues. They alleged that the use of the term is sexist. In a recent interview, Shefali Shah was asked about the same when she mentioned that it doesn’t matter what her character is addressed as, as far as the job is done.
“A lot of debate and conversation happens around this, but there was a very interesting thing I was told when I did season 1. Actually Chaya ma’am told me, she said, ‘It doesn’t matter what they call me, as far as I get the job done.’ And it really doesn’t,” Shefali told Pinkvilla.
She also explained that her character’s job was not to ‘correct people’s point of view’. Shefali also admitted that she loves the term because it comes from love and respect. “Also, she is not here to correct people’s point of views, which are not affecting her job and the society. She knows it comes only from love and respect. She is not going to go to every constable in the cop station correcting them. Her whole thing is, ‘Kuch bhi bulao, mera kaam sahi karo’. And it only comes from love and respect, or it just comes ki acha this is the term. Honestly, I love the term, I love it. I think it’s just so endearing. So you know har cheez ko dissect karne ki mujhe zarurat nahin lagti,” the actress added.
The director of the show Tanuj Chopra also shared that there was no sexist intention behind the use of term ‘Madam sir’. “The intention of the term isn’t sexist, if you think about it. It’s about respect and power. Maybe the word itself is strange, but it always comes from someone who is referring to Vartika. So the intention is one of respect,” he said.
For the unversed, Delhi Crime 2 revolved around Delhi’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vartika Chaturvedi who is on her mission to nab serial killers. Besides Shefali, the show also stars Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain, Anurag Arora, Aakash Dahiya, Sidharth Bhardwaj, Gopal Dutt, Danish Husain and Yashaswini Dayama.
