At the opening day of WAVES Summit 2025, held on May 1 at Mumbai’s Jio World Centre, Israeli actress Rona-Lee Shimon, best known for her fierce role in the hit series Fauda, joined fellow panellists Bianca Balti and Ariane Hingst for a powerful discussion on the theme “Braving the Odds, Scripting a New Narrative”.
But beyond her thoughts on strength and breaking gender bias in the industry, Shimon excited the audience when she shared her long-standing admiration for Indian cinema and her dream to work in Bollywood.
‘I feel like I’ve been manifesting this for many, many years’
When asked about her take on Indian cinema and whether she saw herself working in a Bollywood film soon, Shimon reacted, “I mean, one of my favourite directors (Shekhar Kapur) was just here. Yes, I mean, I feel like I’ve been manifesting this for many, many years.”
She also recalled her first visit to India 10–12 years ago when she toured with the National Theatre: “It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”
Since then, Shimon has returned multiple times, not just as a tourist but as someone genuinely intrigued by the country’s essence. “I kept coming here to travel and to get to know India and the people, and I felt very connected to this country and to its people and the generosity and the way that you go about the world and your culture and your stories,” the actress expressed.
She further continued, “Everywhere I went in India was just a story, about either religion or just the culture or the history, and I always felt very curious to know more and to be a part of it. It’s something that I can’t explain. It’s not logical… I learned how to be happy in India.”
Expressing a potential in the future, Rona noted, “I can’t wait if I can cross over and share stories of India.”
