‘It’s
very
heartening
because
it’s
a
kind
of
underdog
story
and
you
know,
we’re
not
a
big
film,
we’re
not
with
big
people,
we
have
not
been
able
to
plaster
ourselves
all
over
the
place
to
make
ourselves
be
seen
and
watched.’
‘But
still,
we
have
managed
to
somehow
get
here.’
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Shahana
Goswami/Instagram
Laapataa
Ladies
may
have
lost
its
chance
at
the
Oscars
but
India
may
still
find
its
shining
moment
in
the
Shahana
Goswami-starrer,
Santosh,
which
has
made
it
to
the
Oscar
shortlist
of
15
films
in
the
Best
International
Feature
Film
category.
The
shortlist
pushes
the
film
one
step
closer
to
the
nominations,
which
will
be
announced
on
January
17.
While
India
is
rejoicing,
Shahana
takes
a
break
from
a
holiday
in
Thailand
to
heave
a
sigh
of
relief
because
“there’s
been
a
build-up”.
“If
one
didn’t
make
it
to
the
shortlist,
then
the
dream
doesn’t
continue!”
Shahana
tells
Ronjita
Kulkarni/Rediff.com.
“I
have
this
feeling
that
we
might
make
it
to
the
nomination!
We’ll
see
how
it
plays
out.”
But
either
way,
Shahana
is
basking
in
her
“small
victory”.
“It’s
a
great
feeling
just
knowing
that
Academy
members
have
actually
watched
the
film
and
voted
for
it,
chosen
it
among
many
films.
I’m
really,
really
proud
of
that,”
she
says.
Shahana
feels
it’s
an
especially
emotional
moment
for
the
film’s
director,
British
Indian
Director
Sandhya
Suri.
“It’s
very
heartening
because
it’s
a
kind
of
underdog
story
and
you
know,
we’re
not
a
big
film,
we’re
not
with
big
people,
we
have
not
been
able
to
plaster
ourselves
all
over
the
place
to
make
ourselves
be
seen
and
watched.
But
still,
we
have
managed
to
somehow
get
here.
So
it
gives
a
lot
of
hope
that
okay,
something’s
working
for
the
film,”
she
says.
Shahana
Goswami
in
Santosh.
What
are
Shahana’s
plans
for
the
Oscars
should
Santosh
be
nominated?
“There
are
many
a
slip
between
the
cup
and
the
lip
but
I
would
like
to
believe
that
this
time,
it
will
be
not
a
slip
but
a
plunge
into
the
coffee
or
whatever
one
is
drinking,”
Shahana
says,
with
a
laugh.
She
definitely
does
not
feel
any
red
carpet
pressure,
having
been
a
part
of
many
international
ones.
Recently,
she
was
the
spotlight
at
Cannes,
when
Santosh
received
rave
reviews.
“I
have
a
great
team
that
helps
me,
that
really
gets
my
vibe
and
makes
me
feel
the
look
that
I’m
carrying.
Today,
I
have
a
certain
sense
of
loving
confidence
in
myself
and
pride
in
who
I
am.
So
I’m
able
to
be
at
ease
with
myself
and
be
as
honest
as
I
feel
in
that
moment.
So
it
doesn’t
unnerve
me.
It’s
exciting!”
Shahana
exclaims.
“Besides,
I’ve
never
been
a
person
that
takes
on
pressure
in
any
form,
even
in
terms
of
feeling
responsible
to
be
representing
people.
“I’ve
been
an
actor
for
20
years
and
there’s
always
this
thing
that
people
say,
oh,
don’t
you
feel
you
have
a
responsibility
towards
your
audience,
your
fans…
but
I
think
my
responsibility
is
to
be
as
real
and
as
honest
to
myself
as
possible.
So
no,
I
don’t
feel
any
stress
or
pressure.
“It’s
great
that
we’ve
got
where
we’ve
got
and
the
rest
we’ll
see.
“Winning
and
losing
is
only
one
part
of
these
journeys.
There’s
a
lot
more
that
you
go
through,
that
is
more
nuanced
and
life-altering.”
“It
would
have
been
great
if
a
whole
bunch
of
us
were
selected
and
taken
forward,”
Shahana
says
about
Laapataa
Ladies
losing
out.
“I
would
have
celebrated
anybody,
making
it
in
any
capacity.
Had
it
not
been
us
and
it
was
Laapataa
Ladies
or
All
We
Imagine
As
Light,
it’s
still
a
cause
for
celebration,
just
like
their
success
at
the
Golden
Globes
and
the
Critics’
Awards.”
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Shahana
Goswami/Instagram
If
Santosh
does
get
nominated,
or
even
wins,
what
impact
would
that
have
on
Shahana’s
career?
“I
don’t
know.
It’s
constantly
evolving.
Of
course,
Santosh
being
a
titular
character,
being
the
film
that
it
is,
having
been
watched
all
over
the
world
in
a
certain
way
and
now
with
all
of
this
buzz
around
it,
it
is
something
special
for
me
as
an
actor.
“Yet,
there
are
so
many
things
happening
simultaneously,
like
Zwigato
streaming
on
OTT
and
so
many
new
people
watching
it,
or
Despatch,
for
which
I’ve
been
getting
a
lot
of
love
even
though
I’m
there
very
briefly,
or
the
Australian
show
Four
Years
Later
that
is
now
making
its
way
to
finding
distribution
all
over
the
world
on
OTT.
“There’s
a
whole
bunch
of
things
happening
simultaneously
which
have
led
to
creating
a
buzz
around
my
work.
“So
it’s
difficult
for
me
to
say
Santosh
specifically
has
done
something
but
yeah,
I
do
think
that
Santosh
is
at
the
peak
of
that
wave
of
culmination.
Now,
it’s
going
to
be
about
a
very
different
phase
in
my
career,
very
different
from
what
I
expected
it
to
be.
I
can’t
identify
exactly
what
kind
of
change
it
will
be
but
I
know
it
will
be
big
and
profound,”
Shahana
says.
Shahana
Goswami
in
Neeyat.
Will
this
mean
that
Shahana
will
seek
out
only
serious
cinema?
Or
will
she
still
do
the
occasional
light
role
in
films
like
say,
Neeyat?
“It’s
not
like
I
did
Neeyat
because
I
hadn’t
done
Santosh
then,”
she
says,
defending
the
frothy
murder
mystery.
“Neeyat
was
exciting
to
me
because
it
was
an
exciting
character.
She
was
a
character
I
had
never
played
and
nobody
would
ever
think
of
me
playing
that
kind
of
a
character,”
she
says.
“I
have
always
wanted
to
do
different
kinds
of
things,
and
it’s
also
about
what
you
get
offered.
There’s
so
much
of
drama-oriented
work
that
comes
my
way
which
I
welcome
because
clearly
that’s
something
that
I’m
good
at.
“But
I
would
be
very
happy
to
do
more
comedy
or
an
action
film
or
a
sports
film
or
a
dance
film
or
something
totally
outside
of
the
realm
of
expectations
that
people
have
from
me.
What
happens
is,
the
more
you
do
stuff
that
is
similar
to
the
work
that
is
already
out
there,
the
more
you
get
that
same
kind
of
work.
That’s
how
you
get
typecast.
I’m
somebody
who
likes
to
keep
things
fresh
and
different
and
constantly
evolving.
“So
I
would
honestly
like
to
do
anything
that
calls
out
to
me.”
Shahana
Goswami
in
Despatch.
So
what
if
Santosh
doesn’t
get
nominated?
Shahana
has
stoic
words:
“I
don’t
take
these
things
personally;
I
wouldn’t
feel
bad
if
we
didn’t
make
it.
I
mean,
of
course,
I’d
feel
bad
for
a
moment
but
I
am
a
big
believer
in
the
larger
design
of
life.
“In
moments
when
I
feel
lost
and
confused,
I
try
to
lean
into
the
fact
that
it
is
playing
out
the
way
it’s
meant
to.
That
gives
me
an
opportunity
to
see
how
it
plays
out,
rather
than
crying
over
spilt
milk,
and
feeling
bad
and
rejected.”
