Shilpa Shetty
Encyclopedia
Shilpa Shetty is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
: ; born 8 June 1975) is an Indian film
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
actress and model. Since making her debut in the film Baazigar
Baazigar
Baazigar is a 1993 Indian Hindi film directed by Abbas-Mustan. Inspired by the novel A Kiss Before Dying, it is a contemporary thriller about a young man who stops at nothing to get what he wants. The film shocked its Indian audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula,...
(1993), she has appeared in nearly 40 Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
, Tamil
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
, Telugu and Kannada films
Cinema of Karnataka
The cinema of Karnataka , sometimes colloquially referred to as Sandalwood and as Chandanavana in Kannada, encompasses movies made in the Indian state of Karnataka based in Bangalore. Most of the movies are made in Kannada, with a handful of them in Konkani or Tulu. Today more than 100 films are...
, her first leading role being in the 1994 Aag
Aag (1994 film)
Aag is a 1994 Bollywood action drama film directed by K. Ravi Shankar-Plot summary:Orphaned at a very young age, Raju lives a poor lifestyle with his unmarried sister, Laxmi, in India. Both are of marriageable age...
. Although she has been through years of decline during her career, Shetty has been willing to reinvent herself quite often. Her performances in Dhadkan
Dhadkan
Dhadkan is a Bollywood movie which deals with the love triangle of Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and Sunil Shetty. Sunil Shetty won a Filmfare Best Villain Award for his performance.- Synopsis :...
(2000) and Rishtey
Rishtey
Rishtey is a Bollywood film released on 6 December 2002. The film directed by Indra Kumar stars Anil Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty and Amrish Puri in the lead roles.-Synopsis:...
(2002) were appreciated, while her portrayal of an AIDS patient in Phir Milenge
Phir Milenge
Phir Milenge is a 2004 Bollywood movie starring Shilpa Shetty, Salman Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. The film is directed by South Indian actress Revathi. The film touched on the subject of AIDS...
(2004) won her many accolades. Her younger sister Shamita Shetty
Shamita Shetty
Shamita Shetty is an Indian actress. She is the younger sister of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.- Early life :Shamita is the second and youngest daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty...
is also a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film actress.
After taking part in the British Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 was the highly controversial fifth series of the United Kingdom reality television series Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off of Big Brother. The series was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK , and involved a number of celebrities referred to as 'housemates', who live in the...
TV show in 2007, Shetty was crowned the winner with 63% of the final vote, after an international racism controversy
Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy
The Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy was a series of events related to incidents of perceived racist behaviour by contestants on the television series Celebrity Big Brother 2007 shown on British television station Channel 4...
involving her and fellow contestants Jade Goody
Jade Goody
Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
, Jo O'Meara
Jo O'Meara
Joanne Valda O'Meara is an English singer-songwriter, television personality and actress. Formerly one of the lead singers of pop group S Club, she launched a solo single after the group's split in 2003, which cut short the production of a proposed album following an appearance on Celebrity Big...
and Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd is an English glamour model. The former Miss England 2004 and Miss Great Britain 2006, she first rose to prominence when she was stripped of her Miss Great Britain 2006 title after posing for nude pictures featured in the December 2006 edition of Playboy magazine and her alleged...
. This was followed by a re-establishment of her status in the film industry in 2007 when she appeared in two successive movies, Life in a... Metro
Life in a... Metro
Life in a... Metro is a 2007 Hindi film directed by Anurag Basu, set in Mumbai, and starring Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali, Shilpa Shetty, Shiney Ahuja, Kay Kay Menon, Kangana Ranaut, Sharman Joshi, Konkona Sen Sharma and Irrfan Khan in pivotal roles. The music is composed by Pritam with lyrics by Sayeed...
and Apne
Apne
Apne is a 2007 Bollywood film directed by Anil Sharma. This is the first and one of the two films to feature real life father and sons Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol together. Sunny and Bobby have worked together before in Dillagi. Kiron Kher, Shilpa Shetty and Katrina Kaif play the female...
, with her performance in the former drawing positive reviews.
Biography
Shilpa Shetty was born in a traditional close-knit family in MangaloreMangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
that hails from the Bunt
Bunt (community)
Bunt , previously spelled Bant, are a community of erstwhile nobility, feudatory and gentry from the region of Tulu Nadu in the south west of India which comprises the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the Indian state of Karnataka and Kasaragod taluk of Kerala...
community.
She is the eldest daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty, manufacturers
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
of tamper-proof caps for the pharmaceutical industry, and her native language is Tulu
Tulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
although she speaks several other languages at differing levels, including English, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and basic French.
In Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, she attended St. Anthony Girls' High School in Chembur
Chembur
Chembur is a suburban neighbourhood in eastern Mumbai, India. It is 22 km from downtown Mumbai and 20 km from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport...
, and later attended Podar College in Matunga
Matunga
Matunga is a district located in the central part of Mumbai. It is a railway station on the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. This station is called Matunga on the Central railway line, Matunga Road on the Western line and King's Circle, on the Harbour Line...
. A trained Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
dancer, she is also into sports, was the captain of the volleyball team in school, has earned a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
in karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and is currently a dancesport expert and enthusiast.
Shetty's younger sister Shamita Shetty
Shamita Shetty
Shamita Shetty is an Indian actress. She is the younger sister of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.- Early life :Shamita is the second and youngest daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty...
is also a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
actress. They worked together once in the film Fareb
Fareb
Fareb is a 2005 Bollywood thriller film directed by Dipak Tijori. The film stars sisters Shilpa and Shamita Shetty and Manoj Bajpai. The music is by Anu Malik-Plot:...
(2005).
At 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) barefoot, Shilpa Shetty is among the tallest actresses in Bollywood. It was revealed on 29 March 2009 that Shilpa had purchased a house on St. George's Hill in Surrey, England with her husband Raj Kundra.
Film career
Limca
Limca is a lemon and lime flavoured carbonated soft drink made primarily in India and certain parts of the U.S.In 1992, when the Indian government allowed Coca-Cola to return for operations, at the same time as it admitted Pepsi for the first time, Coca-Cola bought local soft-drink brands, from...
in 1991 at age 16 and made her film debut in 1993 with Baazigar
Baazigar
Baazigar is a 1993 Indian Hindi film directed by Abbas-Mustan. Inspired by the novel A Kiss Before Dying, it is a contemporary thriller about a young man who stops at nothing to get what he wants. The film shocked its Indian audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula,...
, portraying a woman murdered by her psychopathic
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
boyfriend. Shetty took the supporting role of Seema, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
and Kajol
Kajol
Kajol Devgn , better known as Kajol, is an Indian film actress appearing in Hindi films. She is regarded as one of India's most successful and talented female actors....
; the film was a major success and earned her a nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
The Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
.
Her first leading role was in the film Aag
Aag (1994 film)
Aag is a 1994 Bollywood action drama film directed by K. Ravi Shankar-Plot summary:Orphaned at a very young age, Raju lives a poor lifestyle with his unmarried sister, Laxmi, in India. Both are of marriageable age...
in 1994, which was averagely received at the box office. She had a hit that same year with the film Main Khiladi Tu Anari
Main Khiladi Tu Anari
Main Khiladi Tu Anari is a 1994 Bollywood film. The film is a remake of the 1991 Hollywood film The Hard Way. The films screenplay is by Sachin Bhowmick...
opposite Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series",...
. This was followed by many films which were average to poor performers at the box office. Shetty starred in another big film that year, Aao Pyaar Karen, followed in 1995 by Hathkadi
Hathkadi
Hathkadi is a 1995 Bollywood action film directed by Rama Rao Tatineni starring Govinda, Shilpa Shetty and Shakti Kapoor.-Plot summary:Assistant Commissioner of Police, Suraj Chauhan is an honest and diligent police officer...
, where she was working alongside actors such as Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
, Govinda
Govinda (actor)
Govinda is a Filmfare award-winning Indian actor and politician. He has appeared in over 120 Hindi language films. At the start of his career, his acting and dancing skills gained him widespread attention among film viewers. He later gained worldwide fame as a Bollywood icon through comedy films...
and Madhoo
Madhoo
Madhoo is an actress in Indian films. She has acted in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. She was named after the late Hindi actress Madhubala. She has acted with almost all leading actors in India...
, but they failed at the box office. 1997 was one of her busiest years: she appeared in six different films, beginning with the Telugu language
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
film Veedeva Dani Babu. Her first major Bollywood film of that year was the action thriller Auzaar
Auzaar
Auzaar is a 1997 Bollywood action thriller film directed by Sohail Khan and written by Anwar Khan. The film starred Salman Khan, Sanjay Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty. The film is based around two college friends who find themselves on the opposite side of the law when they reunite.-Synopsis:Yash Thakur ...
. Shilpa portrayed the character of Prathna Thakur alongside actors Salman Khan
Salman Khan
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi with Rekha in a lead role, had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya , for which he won a Filmfare Award for...
and Sanjay Kapoor
Sanjay Kapoor
Sanjay Kapoor is a Bollywood actor and producer.Son of film producer, Surinder Kapoor, he is the younger brother of actor Anil Kapoor and producer Boney Kapoor and brother-in-law of actress Sridevi...
. In 1998, she had one release, Pardesi Babu
Pardesi Babu
Pardesi Babu is a 1998 Bollywood film directed by Manoj Agrawal starring Govinda, Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty.-Plot summary:The main character in Pardesi Babu. Raju Pardesi is a fairly poor guy who wants to marry a rich guy's daughter, Chinii...
, for which she received critical acclaim and won the Bollywood Movie Award
Bollywood Movie Awards
The Bollywood Movie Awards was an annual film award ceremony held between 1999 and 2007 in Long Island, New York, United States, celebrating films and actors from the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai, India.-History:...
for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2000, Shetty received much acclaim for her role in Dhadkan
Dhadkan
Dhadkan is a Bollywood movie which deals with the love triangle of Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and Sunil Shetty. Sunil Shetty won a Filmfare Best Villain Award for his performance.- Synopsis :...
which earned reasonable takings at the Indian box office. She received several nominations under the Best Actress category in award ceremonies. She would later go on to star with Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor is an Indian actor and producer who mainly appears in Bollywood films. He won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in Yash Chopra's film Mashaal ....
and Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor , often informally referred to as Lolo, is an Indian actress who made her debut in 1991, and appears in Bollywood films. During her career, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was her biggest...
in the film Rishtey
Rishtey
Rishtey is a Bollywood film released on 6 December 2002. The film directed by Indra Kumar stars Anil Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty and Amrish Puri in the lead roles.-Synopsis:...
(2002). Her comic performance as an eccentric fisherwoman was appreciated and she received a nomination under the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
The Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
category and nominations for Best Comedian as well.
2004 was a good year for Shetty with the release of Garv
Garv: Pride and Honour
Garv: Pride and Honour is a 2004 Indian film directed by Puneet Issar. The film stars Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Amrish Puri in pivotal roles.-Plot:...
in which she portrayed a Muslim orphan and disillusioned table dance
Table dance
Table dance, or bartop dancing, is typically an erotic dance performed at a patron's table, as opposed to on a stage. In some jurisdictions, a table dance may be an alternative to a lap dance, due to laws preventing exotic dancers from making contact with customers...
r starring opposite Salman Khan
Salman Khan
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi with Rekha in a lead role, had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya , for which he won a Filmfare Award for...
. According to Shetty, she chose to do the film because she liked the subject. The film was a cop drama. She received much acclaim for her performance in Phir Milenge
Phir Milenge
Phir Milenge is a 2004 Bollywood movie starring Shilpa Shetty, Salman Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. The film is directed by South Indian actress Revathi. The film touched on the subject of AIDS...
, where she made a sensitive portrayal of a successful city high-flyer who contracts HIV from unprotected sex and becomes a social outcast
Social stigma
Social stigma is the severe disapproval of or discontent with a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.Almost all stigma is based on a person differing from social or cultural norms...
as a result. The film, based on 1993's Philadelphia
Philadelphia (film)
Philadelphia is a 1993 American drama film that was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. The film stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington...
, was perceived to have tackled a social taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
as yet unaddressed by Bollywood. The film earned Shetty a Filmfare Best Actress nomination, and provided an impetus for her HIV-related charity work (see below). Film critic Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....
from indiaFM noted, "Phir Milenge belongs to Shilpa Shetty completely. She delivers, what can be rightly called, the performance of her career. The viewer feels and empathises with the character mainly because of her effective portrayal. She conveys the pain and the emotional upheaval through her expressive eyes, making it amongst the most memorable performances the year has seen so far."
Shetty stated that she had taken the role to reinvent herself by portraying the rather unconventional character of an anti-terrorist squad member.
She starred with her sister in the film Fareb in 2005. Shilpa had one release in 2006, the much delayed Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar
Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar
Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar is a Bollywood film directed by K.S. Adhiyaman best known for directing Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam . Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty star in the lead roles as husband and wife. Reema Lagoo, Mohnish Behl and Shakti Kapoor also star in the film. The film kept getting delayed but...
. The film was a box office flop, but she got good reviews for her role as a not entirely likeable wife. In 2006, she was a judge on Jhalak Dikhlaja, a Sony Entertainment Television
Sony Entertainment Television (India)
This article is about the SET channel in India. For the Indian version broadcasted worldwide, see Sony Entertainment Television Asia.Sony Entertainment Television, or SET, is a Hindi-language based general entertainment television channel in India. It was launched in October 1996 and is owned by...
dance show based on the original UK show Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
.
Shetty was once featured in Mani Ratnam's
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai
Netru, Indru, Naalai
Conceptualized first in 2000, the original show was supposed to be a one off event in order to help The Banyan raise funds for its building corpus fund...
.
2007 proved to be Shetty's most successful year at the box office so far. Her first release, Life in a... Metro
Life in a... Metro
Life in a... Metro is a 2007 Hindi film directed by Anurag Basu, set in Mumbai, and starring Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali, Shilpa Shetty, Shiney Ahuja, Kay Kay Menon, Kangana Ranaut, Sharman Joshi, Konkona Sen Sharma and Irrfan Khan in pivotal roles. The music is composed by Pritam with lyrics by Sayeed...
, won a significant reception and became the first Bollywood movie to premiere at Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
. The film performed well at the box office and was declared a semi-hit within three weeks. Additionally, the film was critically acclaimed and Shetty's performance was appreciated, with Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...
of CNN-IBN writing, "It's a terrific performance and unquestionably Shilpa's best to date." Her second release, alongside three Deols (Dharmendra
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Singh Deol |Punjab]]), better known as Dharmendra, is an award-winning Hindi film actor who has appeared in more than 247 Hindi-language films as of 2011. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema and also another Lifetime...
, Sunny
Sunny Deol
Sunny Deol often credited as "Action King of Bollywood" is an Indian film actor, producer and director. Deol was born to Bollywood actor Dharmendra. He has won two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. He went to England to study acting...
and Bobby
Bobby Deol
Bobby Deol is a Bollywood actor. Deol is the son of the acclaimed Bollywood actor Dharmendra and the brother of Sunny Deol, also a successful actor in the Mumbai based Indian film industry....
), the drama Apne
Apne
Apne is a 2007 Bollywood film directed by Anil Sharma. This is the first and one of the two films to feature real life father and sons Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol together. Sunny and Bobby have worked together before in Dillagi. Kiron Kher, Shilpa Shetty and Katrina Kaif play the female...
, was also a box office success.
Celebrity Big Brother 2007
Shetty was a contestant in and the winner of Celebrity Big Brother UKCelebrity Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 was the highly controversial fifth series of the United Kingdom reality television series Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off of Big Brother. The series was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK , and involved a number of celebrities referred to as 'housemates', who live in the...
. and was the first Indian celebrity included in the Celebrity version. Reportedly paid Rs.
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
31.5 m (£367,500 GBP
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
) for her participation, she said to presenter Davina McCall
Davina McCall
Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
, "I just want every Indian to be extremely proud that I'm in here". As for her participation, she stated: "I have zero expectations. The only thing I really hope to keep is my self-respect and my dignity." Her sister Shamita
Shamita Shetty
Shamita Shetty is an Indian actress. She is the younger sister of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.- Early life :Shamita is the second and youngest daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty...
told the Times of India that this "is the boldest decision Shilpa has taken hitherto."
During her time, Shetty instructed fellow housemates Carole Malone
Carole Malone
Carole Anne Malone is a right-wing English journalist, commentator on Current affairs and occasional broadcaster.-Early life:...
and Ken Russell
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
in meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
, and flirted with Dirk Benedict
Dirk Benedict
Dirk Benedict is an American movie, television and stage actor, perhaps best known for playing the characters Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck in The A-Team television series and Lieutenant Starbuck in the original Battlestar Galactica film and television series.-Early life:Benedict was born...
but tempers started to fray by Day 7 as a clique
Clique
A clique is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. A clique as a reference group can be either normative or comparative. Membership in a clique is typically exclusive, and qualifications for membership may be social or...
formed in the house disapproving of Shilpa's presence. Following a worldwide controversy that publicised her as a target of racist bullying within the house (see below), Shetty won the contest after gaining 63% of the public vote and described the experience as "incredible and overwhelming". She further thanked the public for "a fantastic opportunity to make my country proud".
Post Celebrity Big Brother
In February 2007, Shetty attended a reception at the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
by invitation of Keith Vaz
Keith Vaz
Nigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz, known as Keith Vaz, was born 26 November 1956 in Aden, Yemen.Keith Vaz is a British Labour Party politician and a Member of Parliament for Leicester East, He is the longest serving Asian MP and has been the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee since July...
MP to meet with then Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. She was also invited to meet with Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
at Marlborough House in London in March 2007. During an interview on This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
, Shetty confirmed that she had been asked to act in the British EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
soap opera, and turned it down as it would mean all her other arrangements would have to go on hold.
She was the subject of a Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
documentary entitled The Real Shilpa Shetty, which was produced by British television production company Twofour
Twofour
Twofour is a UK independent media group that was founded in 1988 by Charles Wace, a former TV news producer and brother of financier Ian Wace. It has grown to become one of the largest independent media groups in the UK, employing over 350 people internationally....
. The large number of commercial offers that Shilpa received after winning Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother could refer to:*Any series of Celebrity Big Brother UK:** Celebrity Big Brother 2001 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2002 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2005 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2006 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2007...
themselves became reason for controversy with an increasing number of accusations about her riding the 'racism' wave to commercial gain. She was on the cover of the first issue of OK! Magazine
OK!
OK! is a British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, OK! publishers Northern and Shell launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006...
to be sold in India.
In early September 2007 she modelled at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, which also displayed some famous Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
actresses including Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta Bhupathi is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and former Miss Universe.-Early life:Dutta was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to a Punjabi father and an Anglo-Indian mother. Her father is Wing Commander L.K. Dutta and her mother is Jennifer Dutta...
and Celina Jaitley
Celina Jaitley
Celina Jiya Jaitley is an Indian actress born in Kabul, Afghanistan. She appears in mainly Bollywood films. As a former beauty queen and model, she was crowned Femina Miss India Universe in 2001.-Early life:...
. As of October 2007, Shilpa will be seen in a musical titled Miss Bollywood. On her agenda next is a cookery book titled Soul Curry and the role of Sita in Uru Patel's international venture Hanuman.
Bigg Boss
In August 2008, Shetty began hosting the second season of Bigg BossBigg Boss (Season 2)
Bigg Boss Season 2 in 2008 was the second season of the Indian reality TV programme Bigg Boss. It began airing on 17 August 2008 on Colors. Shilpa Shetty replaced Arshad Warsi as host of the show...
, the Indian version of Big Brother. Controversially, Jade Goody
Jade Goody
Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
was one of the initial housemates. Goody left the Bigg Boss House early in the series after receiving news that she had cervical cancer
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
, of which she later died on 22 March 2009.
Indian Premier League
In February 2009 Shilpa and her husband Raj KundraRaj Kundra
A British Asian born on 9 September 1975, Raj Kundra dropped out of college and became an entrepreneur at the age of eighteen. He started his fashion company in the 1990s in London which had an outsourced shawl manufacturings unit in Nepal. He supplied all the major fashion houses in London...
became part owners of the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
franchise cricket team Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals is an Indian Premier League franchise based on the city of the Jaipur captained and coached by former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.They were the champions of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League...
by paying approximately US $15.4 million for a 11.7% stake.
Other commitments
As well as modelling and acting, Shetty has associated herself with several other commercial and non-profit organisations.HIV-AIDS
In February 2006 Shetty lent support to a BBC World Service Trust television show designed to tackle the problem of HIV-AIDS in India. The project, which also involved other celebrities Vivek OberoiVivek Oberoi
Vivek Oberoi is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Suresh Oberoi and Yashodhara Oberoi.- Early life :Vivek attended Mayo college in Ajmer. At an actors' workshop in London he was spotted by the director of New York University who took Vivek off to New York, where he completed his...
, Dia Mirza
Dia Mirza
Dia Mirza Handrich nicknamed Dee and more popularly known as Dia Mirza, is a Indian model and actress who appears in Bollywood films...
, and Raveena Tandon
Raveena Tandon
Raveena Tandon is a National Film Award winning Indian actress, producer, and a former model. She has primarily worked in Bollywood films, though she appeared in a few Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films as well....
in separate episodes, featured Shetty as she shadowed a young achiever whose work involved raising awareness about the condition. According to reports, she participated in order to show solidarity with HIV-AIDS sufferers.
The issue is particularly close to Shetty's heart as she had portrayed an HIV-positive sufferer in her 2004 movie Phir Milenge
Phir Milenge
Phir Milenge is a 2004 Bollywood movie starring Shilpa Shetty, Salman Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. The film is directed by South Indian actress Revathi. The film touched on the subject of AIDS...
. Speaking about the movie and HIV in general, Shetty said: "Why not a film on HIV positive patients? It is a social stigma in our society. We made this film to highlight this problem ... This film will bring about a social awareness about AIDS in our country. It is high time we talked about this in our society".
PETA
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
as part of an advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
against the use of wild animals in circuses. According to a PETA India press release, Shetty is a long-time PETA supporter and has assisted the campaign by posing for photographs in a figure-hugging tiger costume. She explained that her crouching in a cage was uncomfortable during the photoshoot, but that her discomfort was insignificant compared to the pain suffered by the creatures. "These once dignified animals only leave their cages, which are barely larger than the size of their bodies, for a few minutes each day to be forced into the ring to perform tricks which make no sense and are upsetting to them. The best way to help animals suffering in circuses is to boycott the circus".
Shetty revealed in a later interview that she felt strongly about this cause and that she was appalled to hear of the cruel treatment suffered by such animals. "I thought I should stop that. If I can make a little difference to their lives, why not go for it?"
Personal life
Shetty married Raj KundraRaj Kundra
A British Asian born on 9 September 1975, Raj Kundra dropped out of college and became an entrepreneur at the age of eighteen. He started his fashion company in the 1990s in London which had an outsourced shawl manufacturings unit in Nepal. He supplied all the major fashion houses in London...
on 22 November 2009 and announced on her web site that "I am officially Shilpa Shetty Kundra now!!"
Obscenity charges
In April 2006, a MaduraiMadurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
court issued non-bailable warrants against Shetty and Reema Sen
Reema Sen
Reema Sen is an Indian actress and model.-Early life:Reema Sen was born in Kolkata, into a middle class Kayastha family in 1981. She completed high school from Calcutta, after which her family moved to Mumbai.-Film career:...
for "posing in an obscene manner" in photographs published by a Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
newspaper. The report stated that the two actresses had failed to comply with earlier summons for the same reason, hence the issuance of the warrants. The petitioner submitted that the paper had published "very sexy blow-ups and medium blow-ups" in its December 2005 and January 2006 issues, and alleged that these violated the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986, Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1956, and the Indian Penal Code
Indian Penal Code
Indian Penal Code is the main criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code, intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. It was drafted in 1860 and came into force in colonial India during the British Raj in 1862...
Section 292 (Sale of Obscene Books). The petitioner further demanded that the images be confiscated under the terms of the Press and Registration of Book Act 1867.
Shetty responded that she had not received any court summons and also discounted the charges. She further claimed that the pictures were freeze-frame shots from a recent movie that only exposed her navel
Navel
The navel is a scar on the abdomen caused when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby...
. "As far as my photographs go, what is obscene about it? If navel-showing is obscenity, then our traditional Indian outfit – the traditional sari
Sari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
– should be banned in the first place."
In January 2007 outgoing Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
Y.K. Sabharwal confirmed that Shetty had written to him requesting that he enunciate guidelines against frivolous lawsuits against artists, but that he had refused her plea on the grounds that she should have filed a formal petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
instead of writing a letter.
Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy
Jade Goody
Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
, Jo O'Meara
Jo O'Meara
Joanne Valda O'Meara is an English singer-songwriter, television personality and actress. Formerly one of the lead singers of pop group S Club, she launched a solo single after the group's split in 2003, which cut short the production of a proposed album following an appearance on Celebrity Big...
and Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd is an English glamour model. The former Miss England 2004 and Miss Great Britain 2006, she first rose to prominence when she was stripped of her Miss Great Britain 2006 title after posing for nude pictures featured in the December 2006 edition of Playboy magazine and her alleged...
. After mocking the east London dialect of Jade Goody's mother, who mispronounced her name as 'Shiwpa', Shetty was mocked for her Indian accent and was branded "The Indian" and a "dog". Disparaging conversations took place among the other housemates about Indian eating habits, and Shetty's cooking was criticised for giving O'Meara diarrhoea. After Shetty attempted to dispose of left-over chicken soup
Chicken soup
Chicken soup is a soup made by bringing to a boil and then simmering chicken parts and/or bones in water, with various vegetables and flavorings. The classic chicken soup consists of a clear broth, often served with small pieces of chicken or vegetables, or with noodles or dumplings, or grains such...
down the toilet and caused a blockage, Jack Tweed
Jack Tweed
Jack Andrew Tweed is Jade Goody's widower and was a contestant in the 2007 series of Celebrity Big Brother.- Big Brother :...
suggested that she should pick the bones out with her teeth and allegedly referred to her as a "fucking Paki", although show producers denied this and stated that the word used was "cunt
Cunt
Cunt is a vulgarism, primarily referring to the female genitalia, specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of Venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane...
". During a fierce argument, Goody told Shetty that she needed to "spend a day in the slums", although the media falsely reported this as "go back to the slums". Claiming that she did not know Shilpa's surname, Jade referred to her as "Shilpa Fuckawallah", "Shilpa Durupa", and "Shilpa Poppadom", later claiming that they were non-racist references to Indian food. Lloyd had opined that Shetty's English-speaking skills were lacking and verbally indicated her desire that Shetty would "fuck off home". Shetty had been reduced to tears on several occasions, confiding to fellow housemate Ian Watkins: "I feel like I'm losing my dignity."
Shetty speculated that she might be a victim of racism, but later retracted it by claiming: "People say things in anger." A record 40,000 complaints were received jointly by OFCOM
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
about the treatment of Shetty, 30 of which were formally investigated by Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
police. Carphone Warehouse suspended its sponsorship of the show and Louise Burfitt-Dons
Louise Burfitt-Dons
Louise Olivian Burfitt-Dons is an English writer, humanitarian and global warming campaigner who is best known for her anti-bullying activism as the founder of the charity Act Against Bullying....
, the founder of the Act Against Bullying
Act Against Bullying
Act Against Bullying is a national charity in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 2003 by Louise Burfitt-Dons. The charity's purpose is to help children who are bullied at school - by providing them with confidential advice - and to campaign to raise public awareness of the suffering of victims...
charity, branded Jade Goody
Jade Goody
Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
's behaviour as "unforgivable". The controversy reached the British Parliament as an early day motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
was tabled. The row then escalated into an international diplomatic incident after a formal complaint from Indian Minister of State for External Affairs
Indian Foreign Minister
The External Affairs Minister or the Indian Foreign Minister is a position of office at cabinet level within the Government of India. The chief responsibility of the External Affairs Minister is to represent India and its government in the international community...
Anand Sharma lodged with then British PM Tony Blair that threatened to sour relations and damage trade between the two countries. In the city of Patna in Bihar, India, angry protestors marched in the streets and burned effigies
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
in protest of the show, terming it 'Bigot Brother'.
During a parliamentary Prime Minister's Question Time
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime minister's questions is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom that takes place every Wednesday during which the prime minister spends half an hour answering questions from members of parliament...
session Blair responded that "We should oppose racism in all its forms." Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, then Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, who was in India on a goodwill visit, condemned the controversy as "offensive" and the opposite of what Britain stood for: "I want Britain to be seen as a country of fairness and tolerance. Anything that detracts from that I condemn." In an official statement, Channel 4 denied that overt racial abuse or behaviour had been directed at Shetty, but acknowledged that a "cultural and class clash" was responsible for the disputes. After a thorough investigation, OFCOM made an unprecedented move and issued a ruling that Channel 4 were guilty of broadcasting potentially racist material, and required them to make multiple apologies on air during the next Big Brother season.
Richard Gere kissing incident
On 15 April 2007, Richard GereRichard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
kissed Shetty on the cheek several times in jest during an AIDS-awareness event. The pair were appearing at a press conference in New Delhi as part of a campaign to preach safe sex to truck drivers in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and promote AIDS awareness. The kiss, considered an attack on India's cultural and moral values, prompted protesters – alleged members of the extremist Hindu group Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
– to beat burning effigies
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of Gere with sticks. Others set fire to glamour shots of Shetty. People demanded an apology from her and threatened to ban her movies in the state. Shiv Sena leaders denied involvement in the protests, but Shiv Sena member of parliament Sanjay Raut
Sanjay Raut
Sanjay Raut a politician from Shiv Sena party is presently a Member of the Parliament of India representing Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. He is also the Executive Editor of the notorious Marathi Newspaper "Samana" which is published by Bal Thackeray, the...
observed that the protests are "just a manifestation of the anger of the general public" and that there was "nothing wrong with expressing contempt at such an act".
Similar protests broke out in other cities, including Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
's holiest city, and the northern town of Meerut, where crowds of hundreds of thousands chanted "Down with Shilpa Shetty!" The STAR News
STAR News
STAR News is the Hindi language news channel of STAR TV based in Mumbai. The channel is a co-production of STAR Group and ABP Pvt. Ltd...
office was also attacked. The protests did not take any violent turn and the situation was quickly brought under control, with some activists being detained.
Shetty responded to these protests by saying, "I understand this (kissing) is his (Gere's) culture, not ours. But this was not such a big thing or so obscene for people to overreact in such a manner. I understand people's sentiments, but I do not want a foreigner to take bad memories from here."
On 26 April 2007, an Indian court in Rajasthan issued a warrant for Shetty and Gere's arrest.
The legal action against both Shetty and Gere has been suspended by the Indian Supreme Court until the court decides on the case's proper jurisdiction. Gere has since expressed regret for causing any offence and Shetty has said, "so much has been blown out of proportion".
Awards and honours
Winner- 1998: Bollywood Movie Award - Best Supporting ActressBollywood Movie Award - Best Supporting ActressThe winners are listed below:-...
for Pardesi Babu - 2004: Giant International Award for Phir MilengePhir MilengePhir Milenge is a 2004 Bollywood movie starring Shilpa Shetty, Salman Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. The film is directed by South Indian actress Revathi. The film touched on the subject of AIDS...
. - 2005: AAHOA Award for Phir Milenge.
- 2005: Indian "Diva of the Year" by SaharaOne Television viewers.
- 2007: IIFA Special Award for Global Impact.
- 2007: Silver Star Award for her outstanding contribution to humanitarian causes.
- 2007: Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award.
- 2007: Honorary Doctorate by University of LeedsUniversity of LeedsThe University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
- 2008: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Female for Life in a... Metro.
- 2009: Shetty was among the 10 recipients of the IIFAInternational Indian Film Academy AwardsThe International Indian Film Academy Awards, also known as the IIFA Awards are presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood, the Hindi language film industry. Instituted in 2000, the ceremony is held in...
-FICCI FramesFICCIThe Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is an association of business organizations in India, headquartered in the national capital New Delhi. FICCI is one of the main organizations to fund and support many governmental and non-governmental educational institutes...
Awards for the "Most Powerful Entertainers of the Decade".
Nominated
- 1994: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardFilmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardThe Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
for BaazigarBaazigarBaazigar is a 1993 Indian Hindi film directed by Abbas-Mustan. Inspired by the novel A Kiss Before Dying, it is a contemporary thriller about a young man who stops at nothing to get what he wants. The film shocked its Indian audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula,... - 2001: IIFA Best Actress AwardIIFA Best Actress AwardThe IIFA Best Actress Award is chosen by the viewers and the winner is announced at the actual ceremony. The most wins are by Rani Mukerji, leading with three consecutive wins.-2000s:* 2000 Aishwarya Rai – Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam as Nandini...
for DhadkanDhadkanDhadkan is a Bollywood movie which deals with the love triangle of Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and Sunil Shetty. Sunil Shetty won a Filmfare Best Villain Award for his performance.- Synopsis :... - 2003: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardFilmfare Best Supporting Actress AwardThe Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
for RishteyRishteyRishtey is a Bollywood film released on 6 December 2002. The film directed by Indra Kumar stars Anil Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty and Amrish Puri in the lead roles.-Synopsis:... - 2003: Star Screen Award Best ComedianStar Screen Award Best ComedianThe Star Screen Award Best Comedian is chosen via a distinguished panel of judges from the film industry of India. The winners are announced in January. The award was further extended when they included a separate female category for performance in a comedian role, although this was only given once...
for Rishtey - 2005: Star Screen Award Best ActressStar Screen Award Best ActressThe Star Screen Award Best Actress is an Indian cinema award established in 1994, which is chosen via a distinguished panel of judges from the film industry. The winners are announced in January of each year....
for Phir MilengePhir MilengePhir Milenge is a 2004 Bollywood movie starring Shilpa Shetty, Salman Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. The film is directed by South Indian actress Revathi. The film touched on the subject of AIDS... - 2005: Filmfare Best Actress AwardFilmfare Best Actress AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:...
for Phir Milenge - 2005: Zee Cine Award Best Actor- FemaleZee Cine Award Best Actor- FemaleThe Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Female is chosen by the viewers and the winner is announced at the actual ceremony.The most frequent winners are Rani Mukerji, Tabu, Aishwarya Rai and Kajol with 2 wins each. The former two winning consecutively in a row....
for Phir Milenge - 2005: IIFA Best Actress AwardIIFA Best Actress AwardThe IIFA Best Actress Award is chosen by the viewers and the winner is announced at the actual ceremony. The most wins are by Rani Mukerji, leading with three consecutive wins.-2000s:* 2000 Aishwarya Rai – Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam as Nandini...
for Phir Milenge - 2005: Bollywood Movie Award - Best ActressBollywood Movie Award - Best ActressFrequent winners include Kajol and Urmila Matondkar .The winners are listed below:-...
for Phir Milenge
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Baazigar Baazigar Baazigar is a 1993 Indian Hindi film directed by Abbas-Mustan. Inspired by the novel A Kiss Before Dying, it is a contemporary thriller about a young man who stops at nothing to get what he wants. The film shocked its Indian audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula,... |
Seema Chopra | Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
Nominated, Filmfare Best Debut Award Filmfare Best Debut Award The Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut is given at the annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films to recognise a performance by a male actor in his debut role.-1990s:*1990Salman Khan - Maine Pyar Kiya*1991Not awarded... |
| 1994 | Aao Pyaar Karen | Chhaya | Hindi | |
| Main Khiladi Tu Anari Main Khiladi Tu Anari Main Khiladi Tu Anari is a 1994 Bollywood film. The film is a remake of the 1991 Hollywood film The Hard Way. The films screenplay is by Sachin Bhowmick... |
Mona/Basanti | Hindi | ||
| Aag Aag (1994 film) Aag is a 1994 Bollywood action drama film directed by K. Ravi Shankar-Plot summary:Orphaned at a very young age, Raju lives a poor lifestyle with his unmarried sister, Laxmi, in India. Both are of marriageable age... |
Bijli | Hindi | ||
| 1995 | Gambler | Ritu | Hindi | |
| Hathkadi Hathkadi Hathkadi is a 1995 Bollywood action film directed by Rama Rao Tatineni starring Govinda, Shilpa Shetty and Shakti Kapoor.-Plot summary:Assistant Commissioner of Police, Suraj Chauhan is an honest and diligent police officer... |
Neha | Hindi | ||
| 1996 | Mr. Romeo Mr. Romeo Mr. Romeo is a Tamil language film directed by noted director, Ravi who directed En Swasa Kaatre. The film had music by A. R. Rahman. The film starred Prabhu Deva in a double role and his love interests are portrayed by top bollywood actresses Shilpa Shetty and Madhoo with Vadivelu in key role.-... |
Shilpa | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Dubbed into Hindi and Telugu as Mr. Romeo |
| Chhote Sarkar Chhote Sarkar (1996 film) Chhote Sarkar is a 1996 Bollywood romantic drama film directed by Vimal Kumar and written by S. Khan. The film starred Govinda and Shilpa Shetty. It premiered on 22 November 1996.-Plot summary:... |
Seema | Hindi | ||
| Himmat Himmat Himmat is a 1996 Bollywood action film directed by Sunil Sharma, starring Sunny Deol, Tabu and Shilpa Shetty.-Synopsis:Two Indian Secret Service Agents, Ajay Saxena and Abdul, are not only co-workers, but also live like brothers and family... |
Nisha | Hindi | ||
| Sahasa Veerudu Sagara Kanya Sahasa Veerudu Sagara Kanya Sahasa Veerudu Sagara Kanya is a 1996 Tollywood film starring Venkatesh, Malashree and Shilpa Shetty and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao and produced by Buragapalli Shivarama Krshna. It was dubbed into Hindi and Tamil languages. Hindi version was titled Sagar Kanya. It was declared a hit at the... |
Sona | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
Dubbed into Hindi as Saagar Kanya | |
| 1997 | Dus Dus (1997 film) Dus is a 1997 unfinished Bollywood action film directed by Mukul S. Anand, who died during filming, leaving the film incomplete. The film starred Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon and Shilpa Shetty. Vinod Khanna and Rahul Dev had supporting roles in the film.-Cast:*Sanjay Dutt .... Captain... |
Journalist | Hindi | Incomplete role |
| Prithvi | Neha | Hindi | ||
| Insaaf | Divya | Hindi | ||
| Zameer: The Awakening of a Soul Zameer: The Awakening of a Soul Zameer: The Awakening of a Soul is a 1997 Indian Bollywood drama film directed by Rajat Rawail and written by Rumi Jaffery, starring Sanjay Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty. It premiered on 16 May 1997 in Mumbai.-Synopsis:... |
Roma Khurana | Hindi | ||
| Auzaar Auzaar Auzaar is a 1997 Bollywood action thriller film directed by Sohail Khan and written by Anwar Khan. The film starred Salman Khan, Sanjay Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty. The film is based around two college friends who find themselves on the opposite side of the law when they reunite.-Synopsis:Yash Thakur ... |
Prathna Thakur | Hindi | ||
| Veedeva Dandi Babu | Nandhana | Telugu | ||
| 1998 | Pardesi Babu Pardesi Babu Pardesi Babu is a 1998 Bollywood film directed by Manoj Agrawal starring Govinda, Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty.-Plot summary:The main character in Pardesi Babu. Raju Pardesi is a fairly poor guy who wants to marry a rich guy's daughter, Chinii... |
Chinni Malhotra | Hindi | |
| Aakrosh Aakrosh (1998 film) Aakrosh is a 1998 Bollywood action crime film directed by Lateef Binny starring Sunil Shetty, Shilpa Shetty and Girish Karnad.-Plot:Due to his activities, Anjali Gujral separates from Mahendra Pratap Gujral, and marries Dr. Malhotra. She does bring up her son, Dev from her first marriage, who... |
Komal | Hindi | ||
| 1999 | Jaanwar | Mamta | Hindi | |
| Shool | Special appearance | Hindi | Item number Item number An item number or an item song, in Indian cinema, is a musical performance that has little to do with the film in which it appears, but is presented to showcase beautiful dancing women in very revealing clothes, to lend support to the marketability of the film... |
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| Lal Baadshah Lal Baadshah Lal Baadshah is a 1999 Bollywood film directed by K.C. Bokadia and starring Amitabh Bachchan in a dual role, Raghuvaran, Manisha Koirala, Shilpa Shetty and Amrish Puri. Nirupa Roy also appears in her last film playing Bachchan's foster mother... |
Lawyer's daughter | Hindi | ||
| 2000 | Azad Azad (film) Azad is a 2000 Telugu film directed by Tirupathi Swamy. It stars Akkineni Nagarjuna in the lead role and Raghuvaran, Shilpa Shetty, and Soundarya in other important roles. C. Ashwini Dutt produced the film and Mani Sharma composed music... |
Kanaka Mahalakshmi | Telugu | |
| Dhadkan Dhadkan Dhadkan is a Bollywood movie which deals with the love triangle of Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and Sunil Shetty. Sunil Shetty won a Filmfare Best Villain Award for his performance.- Synopsis :... |
Anjali | Hindi | ||
| Tarkieb | Preeti Sharma | Hindi | ||
| Kushi Kushi (2000 film) Kushi was a Tamil movie released in 2000, starring Joseph Vijay and Jyothika Saravanan. The movie ran for 175 days at the box-office..The Crew of "Kushi" celebrated the 175 days celebration, which was telecasted on sun tv, a popular Tamil channel.-Cast:... |
Macarena | Tamil | Item number Item number An item number or an item song, in Indian cinema, is a musical performance that has little to do with the film in which it appears, but is presented to showcase beautiful dancing women in very revealing clothes, to lend support to the marketability of the film... |
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| Jung | Tara | Hindi | ||
| 2001 | Indian Indian (2001 film) Indian is a 2001 Hindi crime drama film directed by N. Maharajan and starring Sunny Deol, Shilpa Shetty, Raj Babbar and Mukesh Rishi. A remake of Tamil film Vallarasu starring Vijayakanth, the film had dialogues written by Sanjay Masoom. It opened on 26 October 2001 to mixed reviews.-Plot:DCP... |
Anjali Rajshekar Azad | Hindi | |
| Bhalevadivi Basu | Shilpa | Telugu | Dubbed into Hindi as Sherni Ka Shikaar | |
| Maduve Agona Baa | Preeti | Kannada | ||
| Preethsod Thappa | Chandana(Chandu) | Kannada | ||
| 2002 | Karz | Sapna | Hindi | |
| Rishtey Rishtey Rishtey is a Bollywood film released on 6 December 2002. The film directed by Indra Kumar stars Anil Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty and Amrish Puri in the lead roles.-Synopsis:... |
Vaijanti | Hindi | Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award The Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role... |
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| Hathyar | Gauri Shivalkar | Hindi | ||
| Chor Machaaye Shor Chor Machaaye Shor Chor Machaye Shor is a 2002 Bollywood film. It is a remake of the 1999 Hollywood film Blue Streak, which itself is a remake of the 1965 British film The Big Job.-Synopsis:... |
Kaajal | Hindi | ||
| Badhaai Ho Badhaai Badhaai Ho Badhaai Badhaai Ho Badhaai is a Bollywood comedy, and Anil Kapoor's first production. It was a remake of well known Tamil movie Poove Unakkaga and the second half of the film was inspired by the English Nutty Professor.-Plot:... |
Radha/Banto Betty | Hindi | ||
| Junoon | Hindi | |||
| 2003 | Ondagona Baa | Belli | Kannada | |
| Darna Mana Hai Darna Mana Hai Darna Mana Hai is a Bollywood Anthology film, released on 25 July 2003. It was considered a unique and innovative attempt by producer Ram Gopal Varma and director Prawal Raman to provide Indian audiences with a horror film which consists of six different short stories... |
Gayathri | Hindi | ||
| 2004 | Phir Milenge Phir Milenge Phir Milenge is a 2004 Bollywood movie starring Shilpa Shetty, Salman Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. The film is directed by South Indian actress Revathi. The film touched on the subject of AIDS... |
Tamanna Sahani | Hindi | Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award Filmfare Best Actress Award The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954.-Superlatives:... |
| Garv: Pride and Honour Garv: Pride and Honour Garv: Pride and Honour is a 2004 Indian film directed by Puneet Issar. The film stars Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Amrish Puri in pivotal roles.-Plot:... |
Jannat | Hindi | ||
| 2005 | Dus | Aditi | Hindi | |
| Fareb Fareb Fareb is a 2005 Bollywood thriller film directed by Dipak Tijori. The film stars sisters Shilpa and Shamita Shetty and Manoj Bajpai. The music is by Anu Malik-Plot:... |
Neha | Hindi | ||
| Khamosh: Khauff Ki Raat | Sonia | Hindi | ||
| Auto Shankar Auto Shankar (film) Auto Shankar is a 2005 Kannada film starring Superstar Upendra, Shilpa Shetty, Radhika and Sudharani. The film was directed by D. Rajendra Babu and produced by Ramu, of Ramu Enterprises.... |
Money Lender | Kannada | ||
| 2006 | Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar is a Bollywood film directed by K.S. Adhiyaman best known for directing Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam . Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty star in the lead roles as husband and wife. Reema Lagoo, Mohnish Behl and Shakti Kapoor also star in the film. The film kept getting delayed but... |
Ahana | Hindi | |
| 2007 | Life In A... Metro Life in a... Metro Life in a... Metro is a 2007 Hindi film directed by Anurag Basu, set in Mumbai, and starring Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali, Shilpa Shetty, Shiney Ahuja, Kay Kay Menon, Kangana Ranaut, Sharman Joshi, Konkona Sen Sharma and Irrfan Khan in pivotal roles. The music is composed by Pritam with lyrics by Sayeed... |
Shikha | Hindi | |
| Apne Apne Apne is a 2007 Bollywood film directed by Anil Sharma. This is the first and one of the two films to feature real life father and sons Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol together. Sunny and Bobby have worked together before in Dillagi. Kiron Kher, Shilpa Shetty and Katrina Kaif play the female... |
Simran | Hindi | ||
| Om Shanti Om | Herself | Hindi | Special Appearance In Song 'Deewangi Deewangi' | |
| 2008 | Dostana Dostana (2008 film) Dostana is a 2008 romantic comedy film. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra in the lead roles. The film was directed by Tarun Mansukhani who previously was Karan Johar's assistant. It was produced by Dharma Productions.... |
Hindi | Special Appearance In Song 'Shut Up & Bounce' | |
| 2010 | The Desire The Desire The Desire-Journey of a Woman is an upcoming Indo-Chinese feature film, directed by R. Sarath. Starring Shilpa Shetty in lead role, the film also stars Chinese actor Xia Yu along with Indian actors and actresses as Jaya Prada, Anupam Kher, Sheetal Menon and Sachin Khedekar... |
Gautami | Hindi, English, Chinese | |
External links
- Profile Page at BBC News