She is admittedly hard on herself, scrutinising every performance to determine how she could have bettered it. This relentless pursuit to perfect her craft probably makes Shefali Shah such a delight to watch on screen. Understandably then, the actor is a bundle of nerves as she turns director with a short film. "I know my work comes with certain expectations. I would be disappointed if it didn't turn out to be something I am proud of. Very rarely do I like my own work," begins Shah.

The yet-untitled venture, which revolves around a doctor handling COVID-19 cases as she battles a personal tragedy, was shot at her residence with a six-member crew. "Though set against the backdrop of the pandemic, the film addresses the larger idea of our fear of isolation," she explains.

The movie sees her on triple duty — as an actor, director and writer. Describing herself as "finicky" about her work, Shah says she did extensive homework before calling for action. "As a first-time director, I couldn't afford to be unprepared. The script was broken down and revisited several times over. While I was developing the script, my character became second nature to me. So, I didn't have to think of how I would portray it in front of the camera. On the day of the shoot, I was more focused on direction than acting."