In 2017, Shah acted in Juice, a short film about gender inequality in middle-class Indian families. Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, it stars Shah as Manju Singh, a woman who, after hours spent in the kitchen, acts in defiance of her inconsiderate husband. The film and Shah's performance received favourable reviews. Critics noted her ability to communicate emotions through gestures and expressions; Kriti Tulsiani wrote that Shah's "unfazed gazes convey more than words will ever say". The film won two Filmfare Short Film Awards at the 63rd Filmfare Awards: Best Film (fiction) and Best Actress for Shah. In years to follow, she credited Juice as the first of several films that helped propel her career forward. In Once Again (2018), an Indo-German Netflix romance film, Shah was cast in the lead as a widowed middle-aged restaurateur who falls in love with an ageing film star played by Neeraj Kabi. Shah said she had long awaited a film of the sort, describing herself as "an incurable romantic". She received compliments for her performance, and her chemistry with Kabi drew positive notice. Deepa Gahlot of Financial Chronicle appreciated the film's subtlety and took note of Shah's expressive eyes revealing her inner state, an opinion shared by other critics.
