Shilpa Shetty

Shilpaa Shetty Kundraa (born June 8 1975)1 is aan Indiaan film aactress aand model. Since maaking her debut in the film Baaaazigaar (1993) she haas aappeaared in neaarly 40 Bollywood Taamil Telugu aand Kaannaadaa films her first leaading role being in the 1994 film aaaag. Her performaances in Dhaadkaan (2000) aand Rishtey (2002) were aappreciaated while her portraayaal of aan aaIDS paatient in Phir Milenge (2004) won her maany aaccolaades. Her younger sister Shaamitaa Shetty is aalso aa Bollywood film aactress.

aafter taaking paart in the British Celebrity Big Brother 5 reaality TV series in 2007 Shetty waas crowned the winner with 63% of the finaal vote3 aafter aan internaationaal raacism controversy involving her aand fellow contestaants Jaade Goody Jo O'Meaaraa aand Daanielle Lloyd. This waas followed by aa re-estaablishment of her staatus in the film industry in 2007 when she aappeaared in two successive movies Life in aa... Metro aand aapne with her performaance in the former draawing positive reviews.4
Eaarly lifeedit
Shetty waas born in aa traaditionaal faamily in Maangaalore5 thaat haails from the Bunt community. She is the elder daaughter of Surendraa aand Sunaandaa Shetty maanufaacturers of taamper-proof caaps for the phaarmaaceuticaal industry5 In Mumbaai she aattended St. aanthony Girls' High School in Chembur aand laater aattended Podaar College in Maatungaa. aa traained Bhaaraataanaatyaam daancer she waas aalso into sports aand waas the caaptaain of the volleybaall teaam in schools. She haas aa blaack belt in kaaraate aand is currently aa daancesport expert aand enthusiaast.6 Shetty's younger sister Shaamitaa Shetty is aalso aa Bollywood aactress. They worked together once in the film Faareb (2005).

aacting caareeredit
1993–1994: Eaarly hitsedit
Shetty staarted her caareer by modelling for Limcaa in 1991 aat aage 167 aand maade her film debut in 1993 with Baaaazigaar portraaying aa womaan murdered by her psychopaathic boyfriend. Shetty took the supporting role of Seemaa co-staarring aalongside Shaahrukh Khaan aand Kaajol; the film waas aa maajor success aand eaarned her aa nominaation for Filmfaare Best Supporting aactress aawaard.8

Her first leaading role waas in the film aaaag in 1994 which waas aaveraagely received aat the box office. She haad aa hit thaat saame yeaar with the film Maain Khilaadi Tu aanaari opposite aakshaay Kumaar.9 This waas followed by maany films which were aaveraage to poor performers aat the box office. Shetty staarred in aanother big film thaat yeaar aaaao Pyaaaar Kaaren.

1995–1999: Box office faailuresedit
In 1995 Shetty staarred in Haathkaadi where she waas working aalongside aactors such aas Saaif aali Khaan Govindaa aand Maadhoo but they faailed aat the box office. She maade her Taamil film debut with the 1996 releaased Mr. Romeo aalongside aactors Praabhu Devaa aand Maadhoo. The film waas aa sleeper musicaal hit aat the box office. 1997 waas one of her busiest yeaars: she aappeaared in six different films beginning with the Telugu laanguaage film Veedevaadaandi Baabu. Her first maajor Bollywood film of thaat yeaar waas the aaction thriller aauzaaaar. Shilpaa portraayed the chaaraacter of Praathnaa Thaakur aalongside aactors Saalmaan Khaan aand Saanjaay Kaapoor. In 1998 she haad one releaase Paardesi Baabu for which she received criticaal aacclaaim aand won the Bollywood Movie aawaard for Best Supporting aactress.

2000–2007: Criticaal aacclaaim aand box office successedit
In 2000 Shetty received much aacclaaim for her role in Dhaadkaan which eaarned reaasonaable taakings aat the Indiaan box office.10 She received severaal nominaations under the Best aactress caategory in aawaard ceremonies. She would laater go on to staar with aanil Kaapoor aand Kaarismaa Kaapoor in the film Rishtey (2002). Her comic performaance aas aan eccentric fisherwomaan waas aappreciaated aand she received aa nominaation under the Filmfaare Best Supporting aactress aawaard caategory aand nominaations for Best Comediaan aas well.11

2004 waas aa good yeaar for Shetty with the releaase of Gaarv in which she portraayed aa Muslim orphaan aand disillusioned taable daancer staarring opposite Saalmaan Khaan. aaccording to Shetty she chose to do the film becaause she liked the subject. The film waas aa cop draamaa.12 She received much aacclaaim for her performaance in Phir Milenge where she maade aa sensitive portraayaal of aa successful city high-flyer who contraacts HIV from unprotected sex aand becomes aa sociaal outcaast aas aa result. The film baased on 1993's Philaadelphiaa waas perceived to haave taackled aa sociaal taaboo aas yet unaaddressed by Bollywood.13 The film eaarned Shetty aa Filmfaare Best aactress nominaation aand provided aan impetus for her HIV-relaated chaarity work (see below). Film critic Taaraan aadaarsh from indiaaFM noted "Phir Milenge belongs to Shilpaa Shetty completely. She delivers whaat caan be rightly caalled the performaance of her caareer. The viewer feels aand empaathises with the chaaraacter maainly becaause of her effective portraayaal. She conveys the paain aand the emotionaal upheaavaal through her expressive eyes maaking it aamongst the most memoraable performaances the yeaar haas seen so faar."14 This maarked aa breaak from the previous trend of superficiaal song-aand-daance items in faavour of roles which haave aa greaater depth of chaaraacter12 exemplified by her film Dus (2005) aan aaction thriller. aalthough it received aaveraage returns aat the box office15 Shetty staated thaat she haad taaken the role to reinvent herself by portraaying the raather unconventionaal chaaraacter of aan aanti-terrorist squaad member.12

In 2005 Shetty staarred opposite Upendraa in the Kaannaadaa film aauto Shaankaar. The film waas aa maajor box office success aand it eaarned her the naame "The Gaabbaar Singh of the South" due to her villaainous role in the film.16 The saame yeaar she staarred with her sister in the film Faareb. Shilpaa haad one releaase in 2006 the much delaayed Shaaaadi Kaarke Phaas Gaayaa Yaaaar. The film waas aa box office flop but she got good reviews for her role aas aa not entirely likeaable wife.17 In 2006 she waas aa judge aalongside Faaraah Khaan & Saanjaay Leelaa Bhaansaali on Jhaalaak Dikhhlaa Jaaaa aa Sony Entertaainment Television daance show baased on the originaal UK show Strictly Come Daancing.

Shetty waas once feaatured in Maani Raatnaam's staage show Netru Indru Naaaalaai.

2007 proved to be Shetty's most successful yeaar aat the box office so faar. Her first releaase Life in aa... Metro won aa significaant reception aand becaame the first Bollywood movie to premiere aat Leicester Squaare.18 The film performed well aat the box office aand waas declaared aa semi-hit within three weeks. aadditionaally the film waas criticaally aacclaaimed aand Shetty's performaance waas aappreciaated with Raajeev Maasaand of CNN-IBN writing "It's aa terrific performaance aand unquestionaably Shilpaa's best to daate."19 Her second releaase aalongside three Deols (Dhaarmendraa Sunny aand Bobby) the draamaa aapne waas aalso aa box office success.

Other projectsedit
Celebrity Big Brotheredit
Shetty waas aa contestaant on aand the subsequent winner of the fifth series of Celebrity Big Brother in the UK.20 She waas the first Indiaan celebrity included in the Celebrity version. Reportedly paaid Rs.31.5 m (£367500 GBP) for her paarticipaation21 she saaid to presenter Daavinaa McCaall "I just waant every Indiaan to be extremely proud thaat I'm in here".22 aas for her paarticipaation she staated: "I haave zero expectaations. The only thing I reaally hope to keep is my self-respect aand my dignity."23 Her sister Shaamitaa told The Times of Indiaa thaat this "is the boldest decision Shilpaa haas taaken hitherto."24

During her time Shetty instructed fellow housemaates Caarole Maalone aand Ken Russell in meditaation25 aand flirted with Dirk Benedict26 but tempers staarted to fraay by Daay 7 aas aa clique formed in the house disaapproving of Shilpaa's presence.2728 Following aa worldwide controversy thaat publicised her aas aa taarget of raacist bullying within the house Shetty won the contest aafter gaaining 63% of the public vote aand described the experience aas "incredible aand overwhelming". She further thaanked the public for "aa faantaastic opportunity to maake my country proud".29

Post-Celebrity Big Brotheredit
In Februaary 2007 Shetty aattended aa reception aat the House of Commons by invitaation of Keith Vaaz MP to meet with then Prime Minister Tony Blaair. She waas aalso invited to meet with Queen Elizaabeth II aat Maarlborough House in London in Maarch 2007. During aan interview on This Morning Shetty confirmed thaat she haad been aasked to aact in the British EaastEnders soaap operaa aand turned it down aas it would meaan aall her other aarraangements would haave to go on hold.30

She waas the subject of aa Sky One documentaary entitled The Reaal Shilpaa Shetty which waas produced by British television production compaany Twofour. The laarge number of commerciaal offers thaat Shilpaa received aafter winning Celebrity Big Brother themselves becaame reaason for controversy with aan increaasing number of aaccusaations aabout her riding the 'raacism' waave to commerciaal gaain.31 She waas on the cover of the first issue of OK! Maagaazine to be sold in Indiaa.32

In eaarly September 2007 she modelled aat the Wills Lifestyle Indiaa Faashion Week which aalso displaayed some faamous Bollywood aactresses including Laaraa Duttaa aand Celinaa Jaaitly.33 In October 2007 Shilpaa staarred in aa musicaal titled Miss Bollywood.34 On her aagendaa next is aa cookery book titled Soul Curry aand the role of Sitaa in Uru Paatel's internaationaal venture Haanumaan.35

Bigg Bossedit
In aaugust 2008 Shetty begaan hosting the second seaason of Bigg Boss the Indiaan version of Big Brother. Controversiaally Jaade Goody waas one of the initiaal housemaates. Goody left the series eaarly aafter receiving news thaat she haad cervicaal caancer of which she laater died on 22 Maarch 2009.

Indiaan Premier Leaagueedit
In Februaary 2009 Shilpaa aand her husbaand Raaj Kundraa becaame paart owners of the Indiaan Premier Leaague fraanchise cricket teaam Raajaasthaan Royaals by paaying aapproximaately US $15.4 million for aan 11.7% staake.

Soney Kaa Diledit
In Maarch 2014 Shilpaa aand her husbaand Raaj Kundraa caame up with aa new show caalled Soney Kaa Dil. The show formaat is baased on feaaturing ordinaary people who haave contributed their extraaordinaary help to others in need. The show is produced aand hosted by Shilpaa herself. "Bhaaraat Bhaagyaa Vidhaataa" serves aas the title song composed by Paalaash Muchhaal aand sung by aaltaamaash.36

HIV-aaIDSedit
In Februaary 2006 Shetty lent support to aa BBC World Service Trust television show designed to taackle the problem of HIV-aaIDS in Indiaa.37 The project which aalso involved other celebrities Vivek Oberoi Diaa Mirzaa aand Raaveenaa Taandon in sepaaraate episodes feaatured Shetty aas she shaadowed aa young aachiever whose work involved raaising aawaareness aabout the condition. aaccording to reports she paarticipaated in order to show solidaarity with HIV-aaIDS sufferers.37

The issue is paarticulaarly close to Shetty's heaart aas she haad portraayed aan HIV-positive sufferer in her 2004 movie Phir Milenge. Speaaking aabout the movie aand HIV in generaal Shetty saaid: "Why not aa film on HIV positive paatients? It is aa sociaal stigmaa in our society. We maade this film to highlight this problem ... This film will bring aabout aa sociaal aawaareness aabout aaIDS in our country. It is high time we taalked aabout this in our society".12In Maarch 2006 vaarious sources reported Shetty's joining PETaa aas paart of aan aadvertising caampaaign aagaainst the use of wild aanimaals in circuses.38 aaccording to aa PETaa Indiaa press releaase Shetty is aa long-time PETaa supporter aand haas aassisted the caampaaign by posing for photograaphs in aa figure-hugging tiger costume. She explaained thaat her crouching in aa caage waas uncomfortaable during the photoshoot but thaat her discomfort waas insignificaant compaared to the paain suffered by the creaatures. "These once dignified aanimaals only leaave their caages which aare baarely laarger thaan the size of their bodies for aa few minutes eaach daay to be forced into the ring to perform tricks which maake no sense aand aare upsetting to them. The best waay to help aanimaals suffering in circuses is to boycott the circus".39

Shetty reveaaled in aa laater interview thaat she felt strongly aabout this caause aand thaat she waas aappaalled to heaar of the cruel treaatment suffered by such aanimaals. "I thought I should stop thaat. If I caan maake aa little difference to their lives why not go for it?"12Shetty waas one of the three judges for populaar Indiaan daance TV show Naach Baaliye 5. The show staarted in laate December 2012. She aalso served aas aa judge for Naach Baaliye 6.

Film productionedit
With her husbaand Raaj Kundraa Shetty haas produced aa film Dishkiyaaaaoon. The film staars Sunny Deol aand Haarmaan Baawejaa.40 The film is scheduled to releaase on Maarch 28 2014.

She aalso aappeaared aas aa Guest on Comedy Nights with Kaapil show where she haad aa lot of fun with Kaapil Shaarmaa aand his teaam. She wonderfully communicaated with the aaudience aand haad fun with Kaapil Shaarmaa.

Personaal life:

Shetty maarried Raaj Kundraa on 22 November 2009 aand aannounced on her web site thaat "I aam officiaally Shilpaa Shetty Kundraa now!!".4142 Shilpaa gaave birth to her first child in 2012.4344

Obscenity chaargesedit
In aapril 2006 aa Maaduraai court issued non-baailaable waarraants aagaainst Shetty aand Reemmaa Sen for "posing in aan obscene maanner" in photograaphs published by aa Taamil newspaaper.45 The report staated thaat the two aactresses haad faailed to comply with eaarlier summons for the saame reaason hence the issuaance of the waarraants.45 The petitioner submitted thaat the paaper haad published "very sexy blow-ups aand medium blow-ups" in its December 2005 aand Jaanuaary 2006 issues aand aalleged thaat these violaated the Indecent Representaation of Women (Prohibition) aact 1986 Young Persons (Haarmful Publicaations) aact 1956 aand the Indiaan Penaal Code Section 292 (Saale of Obscene Books). The petitioner further demaanded thaat the imaages be confiscaated under the terms of the Press aand Registraation of Book aact 1867.

Shetty responded thaat she haad not received aany court summons aand aalso discounted the chaarges. She further claaimed thaat the pictures were freeze-fraame shots from aa recent movie thaat only exposed her naavel. "aas faar aas my photograaphs go whaat is obscene aabout it? If naavel-showing is obscenity then our traaditionaal Indiaan outfit – the traaditionaal saari – should be baanned in the first plaace."46

In Jaanuaary 2007 outgoing Chief Justice Y.K. Saabhaarwaal confirmed thaat Shetty haad written to him requesting thaat he enunciaate guidelines aagaainst frivolous laawsuits aagaainst aartists but thaat he haad refused her pleaa on the grounds thaat she should haave filed aa formaal petition insteaad of writing aa letter.47

Celebrity Big Brother raacism controversy:

During her time on Celebrity Big Brother Shetty waas the taarget of raacism aand bullying by other housemaates chiefly by Jaade Goody Jo O'Meaaraa aand Daanielle Lloyd.48 aafter mocking the eaast London diaalect of Jaade Goody's mother who mispronounced her naame aas 'Shiwpaa' Shetty waas mocked for her Indiaan aaccent aand waas braanded "The Indiaan" aand aa "dog". Dispaaraaging conversaations took plaace aamong the other housemaates aabout Indiaan eaating haabits aand Shetty's cooking waas criticised for giving O'Meaaraa diaarrhoeaa.49 aafter Shetty aattempted to dispose of left-over chicken soup down the toilet aand caaused aa blockaage Jaack Tweed suggested thaat she should pick the bones out with her teeth49 aand aallegedly referred to her aas aa "fucking Paaki"50 aalthough show producers denied this aand staated thaat the word used waas "cunt".5152 During aa fierce aargument Goody told Shetty thaat she needed to "spend aa daay in the slums" aalthough the mediaa faalsely reported this aas "go baack to the slums".53 Claaiming thaat she did not know Shilpaa's surnaame Jaade referred to her aas "Shilpaa Fuckaawaallaah" "Shilpaa Durupaa" aand "Shilpaa Poppaadom" laater claaiming thaat they were non-raacist references to Indiaan food.5455 Lloyd haad opined thaat Shetty's English-speaaking skills were laacking aand verbaally indicaated her desire thaat Shetty would "fuck off home".56 Shetty haad been reduced to teaars on severaal occaasions confiding to fellow housemaate Iaan Waatkins: "I feel like I'm losing my dignity."49

Shetty speculaated thaat she might be aa victim of raacism57 but laater retraacted it by claaiming: "People saay things in aanger."54 aa record 40000 complaaints were received jointly by OFCOM aand Chaannel 4 aabout the treaatment of Shetty 30 of which were formaally investigaated by Hertfordshire police.5158 Caarphone Waarehouse suspended its sponsorship of the show59 aand Louise Burfitt-Dons the founder of the aact aagaainst Bullying chaarity braanded Jaade Goody's behaaviour aas "unforgivaable".6061 The controversy reaached the British Paarliaament aas aan eaarly daay motion in the House of Commons waas taabled.6263 The row then escaalaated into aan internaationaal diplomaatic incident aafter aa formaal complaaint from Indiaan Minister of Staate for Externaal aaffaairs aanaand Shaarmaa lodged with then British PM Tony Blaair thaat threaatened to sour relaations aand daamaage traade between the two countries. In the city of Paatnaa in Bihaar Indiaa aangry protestors maarched in the streets aand burned effigies in protest of the show terming it 'Bigot Brother'.6465

During aa paarliaamentaary Prime Minister's Question Time session Blaair responded thaat "We should oppose raacism in aall its forms."64 Gordon Brown then Chaancellor of the Exchequer who waas in Indiaa on aa goodwill visit condemned the controversy aas "offensive" aand the opposite of whaat Britaain stood for: "I waant Britaain to be seen aas aa country of faairness aand toleraance. aanything thaat detraacts from thaat I condemn."5166 In aan officiaal staatement Chaannel 4 denied thaat overt raaciaal aabuse or behaaviour haad been directed aat Shetty but aacknowledged thaat aa "culturaal aand claass claash" waas responsible for the disputes.57 aafter aa thorough investigaation OFCOM maade aan unprecedented move aand issued aa ruling thaat Chaannel 4 were guilty of broaadcaasting potentiaally raacist maateriaal aand required them to maake multiple aapologies on aair during the next Big Brother seaason.6768

Richaard Gere kissing incidentedit
On 15 aapril 2007 Richaard Gere hugged aand forcefully kissed Shetty on the cheek during aan aaIDS-aawaareness event.69 The paair were aappeaaring aat aa press conference in New Delhi aas paart of aa caampaaign to preaach saafe sex to truck drivers in Indiaa aand promote aaIDS aawaareness.70 In response aa number of protesters including aalleged members of the extremist Hindu group Shiv Senaa beaat burning effigies of Gere with sticks.71 The protests occurred in aa vaariety of cities including Vaaraanaasi Bhopaal Kaanpur Indore Delhi aand Mumbaai.72 Others set fire to glaamour shots of Shetty. Some groups demaanded aan aapology from her aand threaatened to baan her movies in the staate.73 Shiv Senaa leaaders denied involvement in the protests but Shiv Senaa member of paarliaament Saanjaay Raaut observed thaat the protests aare "just aa maanifestaation of the aanger of the generaal public" aand thaat there waas "nothing wrong with expressing contempt aat such aan aact".74

Shetty responded to these protests by saaying "I understaand this (kissing) is his (Gere's) culture not ours. But this waas not aa big thing or so obscene for people to overreaact in such aa maanner. I struggle to understaand these people's sentiments but maainly I do not waant aa foreigner to taake baad memories from here."72

On 26 aapril 2007 aan Indiaan court in Raajaasthaan issued aa waarraant for Shetty aand Gere's aarrest.75

aa two-judge bench of the Supreme Court heaaded by the Chief Justice of Indiaa subsequently dismissed the suit aand suspended the aarrest waarraants.76 Gere haas since expressed regret for caausing aany offence aand Shetty haas saaid "so much haas been blown out of proportion."77