Bollywood Actress Shilpa Shetty Biography

Shilpa Shetty is a Bollywood actress who is famous for her films DHADKAN (2000) and RISHTEY (2002) and her item number in SHOOL (1999) and recently in DOSTANA (2008). She also won accolades for her performance in the Bollywood film PHIR MILENGE (2004).

Shilpa Shetty became popular in the international front after winning the British reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother in the year 2007.

Name: Shilpa Shetty
Born: 8th June, 1975
Occupation: Actor and entrepreneur
Years Active: 1993 to Present
Spouse: Raj Kundra

Early Life Shilpa was born on 8th June, 1975. Her parents belonged to a traditional family in Mangalore. They were a part of the Bunt community. She was Surendra Shettys and Sunanda Shettys eldest daughter.

At home, she spoke the language Tulu. However, Shilpa knows a variety of languages like English, Hindi, Marathi, French, Tamil, Telegu, Gujarati, Urdu and Kannada. Her father manufactured Tamper proof caps for the pharmaceutical industry.

She studied at St. Anthony girls high school in Chembur, Mumbai. After that, she graduated from Podar College in Matunga. She had received training in Bharatnatyam. She was also a good sportsperson.

In school, she was the captain of the volley ball team. She has even earned a black belt in karate. Shilpa has also worked with her father in his business.

Other Commitments Shilpa does her own bit of charity work. HIV AIDS Shilpa does her own bit to spread awareness about AIDS. On February 26, Shilpa lent support to BBC World Service Trust Television Show to spread awareness about AIDS.

Some other celebrities like Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza and Raveena Tondon also lent their support for the same. The issue was important to Shilpa because as she had bagged the role of an AIDS patient in her previous movie Phir Milenge.

PETA In March 2006, she joined PETA. It was a campaign against using wild animals in circuses. She had taken part in a campaign in which she had worn a figure hugging tiger costume and posed for photographs crouched in a cage.

Shilpa accepted that she felt very uneasy trapped in a cage. She later said that she felt strongly about the issue and that she wanted to make a difference if she could.

Television She hosted the second season of Big Boss in August 2008. The series was an Indian version of Big Brother. Apparently, James Goody was one of the housemates initially.

Goody disappeared from the scene after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. On March 22, 2009, she died. Indian Premiere League In February 2009, Shilpa, along with her husband Raj Kundra, became owners of the Rajasthan Royals during the Indian Premiere League.

Awards In 1998, Shilpa Shetty had bagged The Bollywood Movie Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the movie PARDESI BABU. In 2004, she had bagged the Giant International Award for her performance in the movie PHIR MILENGE.

In 2005, she bagged the AAHOA Award for her performance in the film PHIR MILENGE. In 2005, she won the Indian Diva of the Year Award by Sahara One Television Viewers. In 2007, she won the IIFA Special Award for Global Impact.

In 2007, she also bagged the Silver Star Award for her outstanding contribution to humanitarian causes. In the same year, she also won the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award.

In 2008, she won the Zee Cine Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Female, for her acting in LIFE IN A METRO. In 2009, Shilpa was one of the 10 receivers of the IIFA FICCI Awards for the "Most Powerful Entertainers of the Decade.

Richard Gere Kissing Controversy Then there was this new controversy of her kissing Richard Gere. The incident took place on April 15, 2007. Richard Gere apparently kissed Shilpa several times on her cheek during an AIDs awareness event.

The pair appeared for a press conference in Delhi in an attempt to preach safe sex to truck drivers and spread Aids awareness in general. Their kissing created a lot of problems in India.

Shiv Sena activists burned Richard Gere effigies with sticks. People demanded an apology from Shilpa and threatened to ban her movies from the state of Maharashtra.

Similar protests were made in even other cities like Varanasi and Meerut. The star news office was also not spared. The protestors damaged the office. Shilpas reply to the whole event was that she understood peoples sentiment.

However, she stated that such an act was very common abroad. Much as she did not like to hurt peoples sentiment in the country, she did not want any foreigner to take with him bad memories of this place.

On April 26, 2007, a warrant was issued against Shetty and Gere. However, in April 2008, the Supreme Court dismissed the issue.
Controversies In May 2003, Shilpas parents link with the underworld was disclosed.

The Surat police issued an arrest warrant against her parents. They were blamed for extortion. According to the police commissioner of Surat, D.J Gupta, owners of Praful sarees had filed a complaint against them for receiving threatening calls from the Mumbai Underworld, saying that they should pay a lump some amount to the Shettys.

The dispute between the two began when, in a modeling assignment, Shilpa endorsed Praful sarees. According to the contract, Shilpa was supposed to be paid 3 crores.

However, she was paid only 50 lacks. Apparently, the police had taped the conversation between Shilpas parents and the owner of Praful sarees. Accordimg to the owner of Praful sarees, the entire amount had been paid to the actress.

Shilpas parents, on the contrary, said that the tapes had been tampered with. Shilpas father was refused bail. Shilpas mother had held a press conference and denied having any connections with the Mumbai underworld.

According to her, it was a plot to malign the image of her elder daughter. She claimed that her family was innocent. On June 13th, Shilpas father Surendra confessed having contacts with the leader of a Mumbai underworld gang.

Shilpas driver confirmed that he introduced Surendra to Rehmans associates. However, Surendra denied any links being forged. Their lawyer later stated that reports of confessing about Mafia links were actually false and that it was done under pressure.

However, the court held evidences which went against the Shettys. The court had print outs of cellular phone records which confirmed that contact had been established between the Shettys and the Mafia.

To cut the long story short, Shilpas driver was arrested. FazlurRehman was arrested. Shilpa had threatened to sue a newspaper after it printed incorrect information about the case.

Speaking to the Filmfare, Shilpa had said that this was the worst controversy that she had ever been through. She expressed her gratitude to several figures from the film industry who stood by her throughout this difficult phase.

Obscenity Charges She was charged by the court of Madurai along with Reema Sen for posing obscenely for a Tamil newspaper. Shilpa Shetty replied that she had not received any court summons.

Having said so, she dismissed the charges. She also explained that the picture was taken from a movie, which showed only her navel. She challenged that if navel showing was such a big issue, then sarees should be burnt.

Racism controversy in Celebrity Big Brother When she participated in Celebrity Big Brother, she was at the receiving end of racial remarks and prejudices. Other contestants passed racial comments against her and bullied her.

She was mocked for her Indian accent and her Indian eating habits. Channel 4 received complaints that the show was featuring racism. The Indian Minister of States for External Affairs filed a complaint to Tony Blaire.

The complaint clearly stated that if the situation would not improve, it would damage relations between the two countries which would affect trade. In India, people expressed their wrath by marching on the streets and burning effigies, protesting against the show.

During Tony Blairs Question Hour Session, the P.M said that they should oppose racism in all forms. Gorden Brown, who was then the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was on a visit to India at that time. He acknowledged that the treatment meted out to the actress was offensive.

On the other hand, Channel 4 declined any outward racial injustice being done to Shilpa, but termed the whole event as cultural and class clash. This led to a thorough investigation being conducted.

Channel Four was held guilty of broadcasting potentially racist material.
It was made mandatory for them to air multiple apologies when the next season of Big Brother began.