Shilpa Shetty (Tulu: ಶಿಲ್ಪ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ) (born 8 June 1975) is a four-time Filmfare Award-nominated Indian film actress, model, AIDS activist and PETA supporter.
Since making her debut in the film Baazigar (1993), she has appeared in nearly 50 films and made her first lead role in 1994's Aag.[1] She is one of Bollywood's tallest actresses and currently resides at the centre of the Hindi-language film industry in Mumbai, India. Her sister Shamita Shetty is also a Bollywood film actress.
Shilpa was crowned the winner of the British Celebrity Big Brother on 28 January 2007 with 63% of the final vote, becoming the first Indian to win the contest.[2]
Shilpa Shetty was born in a strict and traditional close-knit family[3] that hails from the Bunt community[4] of Karnataka, South India, although she was born in Tamil Nadu.[5] She is the eldest daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty, manufacturers of tamper-proof caps for the pharmaceutical industry,[3] and her native language is Tulu although she can speak nearly ten languages at differing levels including English, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Urdu and basic French.[citation needed]
She attended St. Anthony Girls' High School, located in Chembur, and later attended Podar College. She was the captain of the baseball team and earned a black belt in Karate.[6]
Shetty currently lives in Mumbai with her parents and sister. Her younger sister Shamita Shetty is a budding Bollywood actress and they worked together in the film Fareb (2005).
[edit] Career
Shetty started her career by modelling for Limca in 1991 at age 16, [7] and made her film debut in 1993 at age 17 in Baazigar, portraying a woman murdered by her psychopathic boyfriend. Although she was a supporting actress alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, the film was a major success and earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.[8]
Her first leading role was in the film Aag in 1994, which was averagely received at the box office. She had a hit that same year with the film Main Khiladi Tu Anari opposite Akshay Kumar.[9] This was followed by many films which were average to poor performers at the box office. Shetty starred another big film that year Aao Pyar Karen followed by Hathkadi in 1995 where she was working alongside actors such as Saif Ali Khan, Govinda and Madhoo but they failed at the box office. 1997 was one of her busiest years yet, she appeared in six different films, beginning with the small Telugu language film Veedeva Dani Babu. Her first major Bollywood film of that year was the action thriller Auzaar. Shilpa portrayed the character of Prathna Thakur alongside actors Salman Khan and Sanjay Kapoor.
In 2000 Shetty received much acclaim for her role in Dhadkan which earned reasonable takings an the Indian box office.[10] She received her first nomination under the Best Actress category at the Filmfare Awards although she lost to Karisma Kapoor. She would later go on to star with Kapoor in the film Rishtey (2002). Her performance as an eccentric fisherwoman was appreciated and she received a nomination under the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award category.[11]
2004 was also a good year for Shetty with the release of Garv in which she portrayed a Muslim orphan and disillusioned table dancer starring opposite Salman Khan. Unlike the similar Chandni Bar, Garv was a cop drama that did not make the same social impact but which Shetty chose to do because she liked the subject.[12] However, she received much acclaim for her performance in Phir Milenge after a sensitive portrayal of a successful city high-flyer who contracts HIV via unprotected sex and becomes a social outcast as a result. The film, based on 1993's Philadelphia, was perceived to have tackled a social taboo as yet unaddressed by Bollywood[13][14] and earned Shetty a Filmfare Best Actress nomination, and also provided an impetus for her HIV-related charity work (see below). The actress was also a guest judge on the Indian Idol television show.
This marked a break from the previous trend of superficial song-and-dance items in favour of "meatier roles"[12] exemplified by her film Dus (2005), an action thriller. Although it received average returns at the box office, [15] Shetty stated that she had taken the role in order to reinvent herself by portraying the rather unconventional character of an anti-terrorist squad member.[12] She also starred with her sister in the film Fareb in 2005. Shilpa had one release in 2006, the much delayed Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar. The film was a box office flop but she got good reviews for her role as a wife with negative shades.[16] In 2006, she was a judge on Jhalak Dikhlaja, a Sony Entertainment Television dance show based on the original UK show Strictly Come Dancing.
Shetty was once featured in Mani Ratnam's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai.[citation needed]
[edit] Celebrity Big Brother 2007
Shetty was a contestant in and the winner of Celebrity Big Brother UK.[17] and is the first Indian celebrity included in the Celebrity version. Reportedly paid Rs.31.5m (£367,500) for her participation,[18] she said to presenter Davina McCall, "I just want every Indian to be extremely proud that I'm in here".[19] 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."[20] Sister Shamita told the Times of India that this "is the boldest decision Shilpa has taken hitherto."[21] The Scotsman reported that PETA backed Shetty to win the contest and urged British viewers to vote for her.[22][23]
During her time, Shetty instructed fellow housemates Carole Malone and Ken Russell in meditation,[24] flirted with Dirk Benedict[25] and admitted to finding him "sexy",[26] but tempers were starting to fray by Day 7 as a clique was beginning to form in the house which was not approving of Shilpa's presence.[27][28] Following a worldwide controversy that publicised her as a target of racist bullying (see below) within the house, 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".[29]
In February 2007, Shetty attended a reception at the House of Commons, by invitation of Keith Vaz MP to meet with British prime minister Tony Blair [1]. She was also invited to meet with Queen Elizabeth II at Marlborough House in London in March 2007. During an interview on This Morning, Shetty confirmed that she had been asked to take the role of Preeti Choraria's sister in EastEnders. Shilpa said that after much thought she would be unable to take the role as it would mean all her other arrangments would have to go on hold.[30]
She will be the subject of a one-off documentary "The Real Shilpa Shetty", produced by British television production company Twofour for Sky One to be broadcast in March. The large number of commercial offers that Shilpa received after winning Celebrity Big Brother themselves became reason for controversy with an increasing number of accusations about her riding the 'racism' wave to commercial gain.[31]
[edit] Famous commitments
As well as modeling and acting, Shetty has associated herself with several other commercial and non-profit organizations.
[edit] HIV-AIDS
In February 2006 Shetty lent her support to a BBC World Service Trust television show designed to tackle the problem of HIV-AIDS in India.[32] The project, which also involved other celebrities Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, and Raveena Tandon in separate episodes, featured Shetty as she shadowed a young achiever whose work involved raising awareness about the condition. "I have participated to show my solidarity to people living with HIV-Aids. I will do anything for them to feel wanted and special," she said.[32]
The issue is particularly close to Shetty's heart as she had portrayed an HIV-positive sufferer in her 2004 movie Phir Milenge. 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."[12]
[edit] PETA
In March 2006 various sources reported Shetty's joining PETA as part of an advertising campaign against the use of wild animals in circuses.[33] 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".[34]
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?"[12]
[edit] Romanov Vodka
In a May 2006 press conference, it was announced that Shetty would be the brand ambassador of Romanov Vodka.[35][36] Sami Lala, President of United Spirits, said that Shetty was chosen for her status as an "aspirational icon", and that her "innate style, energy and attitude highlight the core attributes of the brand."[35]
[edit] Personal life
Shetty is a frequent subject of speculation regarding romance.[37] However, she has remained tight-lipped whenever questions of marriage are posed to her. Her previous relationships include a liason with actor Akshay Kumar, whom she met on the Main Khiladi Tu Anari set in 1994. The couple split in 2000 after he started dating Shetty's friend and fellow actress Twinkle Khanna after a previous indiscretion,[38] and which led to Shetty's successfully suing of Stardust magazine for publishing a "damaging" report about the affair.[13]
In an interview for the Times of India, Shetty quashed rumours of a romance with director Anubhav Sinha and claimed to have changed her mobile phone number in order to concentrate on her busy schedule.[39] But in a later interview for the Sunday Mirror Shetty confessed that she was "in love" with Sinha and that he was her "soulmate", but that she could not be with him for fear of parental disapproval, social stigma (Sinha is married with two children, although currently separated) and adverse public perception.[38] Currently single and not dating, Shetty has stated that she plans to marry in three years.[37]
[edit] Controversies
Shetty has been the subject of several controversies.
[edit] Mafia links
In May 2003 a controversy erupted over alleged links between Shetty's parents and the Indian underworld. The Surat police issued arrest warrants against her parents on charges of extortion.[40] Police Commissioner of Surat, D.K. Gupta, told the media that the owners of Praful Sarees had lodged complaints with them after claiming to receive threatening telephone calls from Mumbai-based underworld figures asking for money on behalf of the Shettys. The dispute between the two parties related to a 1998 modelling assignment where Shilpa endorsed Praful Sarees and had only been paid Rs. 50 lakhs (over $113,000) out of a contractually-agreed agreed 3 crores ($679,000).[40] Agarwal claimed that the full sum had been paid in advance, but he had no knowledge of how much had been paid to Shilpa.[41] Surendra Shetty was refused bail by a Mumbai court although bail was granted to Sunanda,[42] as she had been travelling abroad at the time the warrant was issued. The police further claimed to possess a record of a telephone call between Shilpa's parents and Pankaj Agarwal, the owner of Praful Sarees. This was denied by the parents and the tape was claimed to have been "manipulated".[43][44]
Sunanda Shetty held a press conference on June 5 where she denied that the family had underworld connections and that the whole fracas was a "plot to tarnish the image of my daughter."[45] She further said that she was "definitely innocent" of the charges and was falsely implicated by Agarwal after he had failed to fully reimburse Shilpa for her work.[46] On June 13 it was reported that Surendra had confessed to establishing contact with associates of Fazl-ur-Rehman, leader of the Mumbai gang, after being interrogated by police.[47] A contradictory story surfaced that, although the Shettys' driver, Dilip Pashekar, admitted to introducing Surendra with Rehman's associates, Surendra continued to deny that any links were forged.[48] A senior police official confirmed that Surendra had "vehemently denied" his links even though he and Pashekar were interrogated side by side. Shetty's lawyer later clarified that the reports of confessing to mafia links were false.[49]
Court hearings revealed that, despite Shetty's denials, print-outs of cellular phone records proved that contact between Shetty and the gang had taken place.[50] On June 20 Surendra Shetty was formally arrested after surrendering to the police, later telling news reporters that the entire issue was designed to malign him and his family. When asked about the underworld's involvement, Shetty said "I don't know, I talked to them only after they called up and said they were agents of Agarwal."[51] Further court hearings cast doubt on the veracity of the evidence tapes; Shetty's defence claimed that it was Agarwal who recorded the telephone calls rather than the police, and that the possibility of dubbing or manipulation could not be ruled out.[52] Shilpa was quizzed by police upon her return to India after returning from overseas filming assignments, denying all knowledge of any involvement between her parents and underworld figures and claimed that she had no knowledge of the case until it became public through the media.[53] She further stated that her mother had power of attorney over her financial affairs and disclaimed any knowledge of payment for the Praful Sarees affair. Sunanda's bail hearing had been adjourned three times during the case due to health grounds.[54]
Another strange twist occurred when the Shettys' driver, Dilip Pashekhar, was arrested.[55] On Nov 5 it was reported that Surendra and Sunanda Shetty, among three others, were chargesheeted and which paved the way for a trial commencement in a local court.[56] The trial is still pending. In August 2006 Sunanda said that Shilpa had no involvement with the case and that the arrest of Fazl-ur-Rehman earlier that month would not have a negative effect on Shilpa's career. Shilpa has threatened to claim damages after an unnamed local tabloid allegedly printed incorrect information about the case.[57] In an interview for Filmfare, Shilpa said that she was very "cut up" and "devastated" with the way the case had turned into a trial by media and that they had behaved "unethically".[58] She also said that this was the worst controversy she had ever been through, and expressed her thanks to several film figures for standing by her, including Rajkumar Santoshi and Anil Kapoor.
[edit] Obscenity charges
In April 2006, a Madurai court issued non-bailable warrants against Shetty and Reema Sen for "posing in an obscene manner" in photographs published by a Tamil newspaper.[59] The report stated that the two actresses had failed to comply with earlier summonses for the same reason, hence the issuance of the warrants.[59] The petitioner submitted that the paper had published "very sexy blow-ups and medium blow-ups" in its issues December 2005 and January 2006 issues, and which allegedly violated the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986, Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1956, and the Indian Penal Code Section 292 (Sale of Obscene Books). The petitioner further demanded that the images should 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. "As far as my photographs go, what is obscene about it? If navel-showing is obscenity, then our traditional Indian outfit - the traditional sari - should be banned in the first place."[60]
In January 2007 outgoing Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal confirmed that Shetty had written to him in order to enunciate guidelines against frivolous lawsuits against artists, but refused her plea on the grounds that she should have filed a formal petition instead of writing a letter.[61]
[edit] Racism controversy
During her time in Celebrity Big Brother, Shetty was the target of alleged racism and bullying by other housemates, chiefly by Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd.[62] Shetty was mocked for her Indian accent and was branded as "The Indian" and a "dog". Disparaging conversations took place among the other housemates about Indian eating habits, and Shetty's cooking was criticised for being the cause of diarrhea for O'Meara.[63] After Shetty attempted to dispose of left-over chicken soup down the toilet and caused a blockage, Jack Tweed suggested that she should pick the bones out with her teeth[63] and allegedly referred to her as a "fucking Paki"[64] although show producers denied this and stated that the word used was "cunt".[65][66] During a fierce argument, Goody told Shetty to "go back to the slums"[67] and repeatedly referred to her as "Shilpa Fuckawallah", "Shilpa Durupa", and "Shilpa Poppadom", later claiming that they were non-racist references to Indian food.[68][69] Lloyd had opined that Shetty's English-speaking skills were lacking and verbally indicated her desire that Shetty would "fuck off home".[70] Shetty had been reduced to tears on several occasions, confiding to fellow housemate Ian Watkins: "I feel like I'm losing my dignity."[63]
Shetty speculated if she was a victim of racism,[71] but later retracted it by claiming: "People say things in anger."[68] A record 40,000 complaints were received jointly by OFCOM and Channel 4 about the treatment meted to Shetty, 30 of which are being formally investigated by Hertfordshire police.[72][65] Carphone Warehouse suspended its sponsorship of the show[73] and the Act Against Bullying charity branded Jade Goody's behaviour as "unforgivable".[74] The controversy reached the British Parliament as an early day motion in the House of Commons was tabled.[75][76] The row then escalated into an international diplomatic incident after a formal complaint from Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma lodged a complaint to British PM Tony Blair that threatened to sour relations and damage trade between the two countries. In India, angry protestors marched in the streets and burned effigies in protest of the show where it had been termed 'Bigot Brother'.[77][78]
During a parliamentary Prime Minister's Question Time session Blair responded "We should oppose racism in all its forms."[77] Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, 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."[65][79] 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.[71] The controversy is ongoing.
[edit] Trivia
- One of her nicknames is "Silly Pooh".[80]
- She was on the cover of the first issue of OK! Magazine to be sold in India.[81] and has since appeared on the front of the UK version.
- Within five days of setting up an email address to keep in touch with fans, Shetty was inundated with thousands of marriage proposals.[82]
- After her stint on Celebrity Big Brother, an Irish priest hailed Shetty as a role model to young students awaiting confirmation.[83]
[edit] Awards and honours
[edit] Won
- 1998: Zee Gold Bollywood Awards, Best Supporting Actress for Pardesi Babu
- 2004: Special Awards for Phir Milenge
- 2004: Giant International Awards for Phir Milenge
- 2004: Indo-Pak's Young Achiever Awards
- 2005: AAHOA Award for Phir Milenge
- 2007: Celebrity Big Brother
[edit] Nominations
- 1993: Filmfare Best Debut Award for Baazigar
- 1998: Zee Gold Bollywood Award, Best Supporting Actress for Pardesi Babu
- 2000: IIFA Best Actress Award for Dhadkan
- 2002: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Rishtey
- 2002: Star Screen Award Best Comedian for Rishtey
- 2002: Sansui Viewers Choice Movie Awards, Best Comedian for Rishtey
- 2004: Sansui Viewers Choice Movie Awards, Best Actress for Phir Milenge
- 2004: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Phir Milenge
- 2004: Sports World Film Awards, Best Actress for Phir Milenge
- 2004: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Phir Milenge
- 2004: Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Female for Phir Milenge
- 2004: IIFA Best Actress Award for Phir Milenge
- 2004: Bollywood Awards, Best Actress for Phir Milenge
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Television
| Year | Film | Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Indian Idol | Guest Judge |
| 2006 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa | Judge |
| 2007 | Celebrity Big Brother | Winning Housemate |
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