As tributes continue to pour in for Shefali Jariwala following her untimely death at 42, an old interview has resurfaced in which the actress spoke candidly about the health condition that quietly shaped much of her career and life.

The ‘Kaanta Laga star’, who passed away on June 27 reportedly after suffering a cardiac arrest, had once revealed she had been battling epilepsy since she was a teenager, a struggle she largely kept away from the public eye.

In a throwback interview with The Times of India, Shefali shared, “I had an epilepsy seizure at the age of 15. I remember at that time I was under tremendous pressure to do well in my studies. Stress and anxiety can lead to seizures. It’s interrelated, you could get a seizure due to depression and vice versa.”

A silent battle behind the spotlight

Despite achieving overnight fame with the chartbuster ‘Kaanta Laga’ in the early 2000s, Shefali’s absence from mainstream projects remained a question for many fans over the years. In the same interview, she finally addressed why she did not pursue a longer stint in the industry.

“After I did ‘Kaanta Laga’, people asked me why I didn’t do more work. I can now say that it was because of the epilepsy seizures that I couldn’t take up much work. I didn’t know when I would get my next seizure… this went on for 15 years,” she had explained.

The condition, Shefali said, affected her deeply, often shaking her self-confidence and causing her to withdraw from opportunities. “I have got seizures in classrooms, backstage, while on roads, and somewhere that lowered my self-esteem,” she shared.

Though the actress quietly battled epilepsy for over a decade, she also made it known that the latter years of her life were more stable. In the interview, Shefali noted she had been seizure-free for nine years and had managed her condition without medication.

“I am proud of myself because I managed my depression, panic attacks and anxiety naturally and with the help of a strong support system,” she said, reflecting on her journey with grace and resilience.

Sudden end to a brave journey

Shefali Jariwala died on Friday night and was rushed to Bellevue Multispecialty Hospital by her husband, actor Parag Tyagi, and others. She was pronounced dead on arrival. Her remains were later transferred to Cooper Hospital for a post-mortem examination. An official family statement is yet to be released.