Who Is Shefali Bhushan? Director Of Web Series Guilty Minds

Who is Shefali Bhushan? The trailer of her web series Guilty Minds, which was released today, has shaken the viewers with the clean, crisp and grey areas that it chooses to show. The series is a courtroom drama that has many crosses with the lawyer's personal and professional life. It begins with the same quirkiness that Shefali Bhushan's films are known to have and proceeds to show flashes of political and social realities.

The web series includes actors like Shriya Pilgaonkar and Varun Mitra, in pivotal roles. It is co-directed by Bhushan and Jayant Digambar Somalkar. It is a legal drama that follows the lives of two young, ambitious lawyers, who often fight cases against each other but outside the court are friends and indulge in casual flirting.

While one is virtuous, the other one is associated with a leading law firm. Law is about facts but the trailer of the series chooses to show the many greys that it hangs on it. Manipulation, threats and politics of law are deeply explored. It also stars Namrata Sheth, Sugandha Garg, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Satish Kaushik, and Benjamin Gilani, amongst others. It also includes guest appearances by Karishma Tanna, and Shakti Kapoor, amongst a few others.

Suggested Reading: Films On Courtroom Drama That Should Be On Your Watchlist

Talking about the film, Bhushan said that the film is more than just being based on two lawyers. "It is a representation of all that I've learned about the law through my family. Growing up, the Law was a constant topic of discussion at the dinner table at my house and I have always been intrigued by it. So, I wanted to present a realistic take on the legal system and Guilty Minds does that through the varied cases it explores."

The film is going to be released on Amazon Prime Video on April 22, 2022. Watch the trailer here.

Who Is Shefali Bhushan?

Bhushan is a writer and director. She has made films like Jugni and the short film Tambur. Jugni was her first feature film. In an interview with Anu Singh Choudhary, she said that the word has two meanings--melody and passion.

In the same interview, she also talked about what she wants to do and how she decided to take a plunge into filmmaking. "There are many things I love to do- act, sing, write, paint, dance and direct. I decided to gather all the courage possible and take the plunge: a plunge into the deep end from a very high diving board and 'make a film.'"

She was a Mass Communication student and has often explored current affairs topics and the non-fiction genre as a filmmaker, writer and producer. Apart from this, she also sings and plays a few instruments. She has studied Hindustani Classical and researched folk music.

Talking about how being a woman filmmaker makes a difference, she said that never at any moment did she feel that it was different to head a film as a woman and the part of the reason was her crew for the film, Jugni. For this film, she never felt that the gender issue came in the way.

Her father is Shanti Bhushan, who is a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India and was a former law minister of India, while her brother Prashant Bhushan, is a lawyer and an activist. Her mother is Kumud Bhushan, who is a trained Kathak dancer and painter.

She was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh and when she was five years old, her family moved to Delhi. She completed her schooling at Modern School in New Delhi and her graduation with Economics Honours from Delhi University in 1992.

(Feature Image Credit: London Indian Film Festival)