Shilpa Shetty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shilpa Shetty
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Shetty in 2023
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| Born |
Ashwini Shetty
8 June 1975 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Shamita Shetty (sister) |
Shilpa Shetty Kundra (born Ashwini Shetty on 8 June 1975) is an Indian actress who works mainly in Hindi films. She made her screen debut in the thriller Baazigar (1993) which gained her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She had intermittent success in the rest of the decade, such as in the action films Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994) and Jaanwar (1999).
The romantic drama Dhadkan (2000) marked a turning point in Shetty's career. This was followed by roles in Indian (2001) and Rishtey (2002), which earned her a second Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Shetty received praise for playing a woman suffering from AIDS in the social drama Phir Milenge (2004), which earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She subsequently appeared in the action thriller Dus (2005), the ensemble drama Life in a... Metro (2007), and the sports drama Apne (2007). She also received attention for the song "Shut Up & Bounce" in the film Dostana (2008). This was followed by a hiatus from acting. She returned in 2021 with the comedy Hungama 2.
In 2006, she ventured into reality television by judging the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. In early 2007, Shetty joined the fifth season of the UK reality show Celebrity Big Brother, ultimately winning the entire season and remaining as the final housemate. However, during her stay in the house, Shetty received international media coverage and attention for the racism and ignorance she endured from several of her fellow celebrity housemates. Her win was followed by a spot hosting the second season of the reality show Bigg Boss. Shetty has since appeared as a judge on several Indian dance and music reality-competition shows, including Zara Nachke Dikha (2010), Nach Baliye (2012–20) and Super Dancer (2016–21), and she has made appearances on Indian Idol (2021-23).
In addition to acting in films, Shetty is a celebrity endorser for various brands and products, and she has been vocal about personal issues such as feminism, vegetarianism and animal rights. Shetty has worked with PETA since 2006 as part of an advertising campaign against the use of wild animals in circuses. She is also a fitness enthusiast and she launched her own Yoga DVD in 2015. She is involved in several fitness campaigns such as the Fit India Movement, launched by the Government of India. Shetty was awarded the Champions of Change Award for her work on the Swachh Bharat Mission cleanliness campaign. From 2009 to 2015, she was a part-owner of the Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals.
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Early life
Shetty was born in Mangalore, Karnataka in a Tulu speaking Bunt family. Her mother Sunanda and late father Surendra Shetty were both manufacturers of tamper-proof water caps in the pharmaceutical industry. She is Shamita Shetty's elder sister. Shetty revealed her Bengali ancestry in 2016, during a visit to a fashion show in Dhaka, where she also mentioned her future plans on visiting her ancestral homestead in Sylhet and acting in a Bangladeshi film.
Shetty was educated at St. Anthony's Girls High School, Chembur and at Podar College in Matunga. A trained Bharatanatyam dancer, she was the captain of the volleyball team at her school.
In 1991, after completing her tenth-grade examinations, Shetty began her career as a model with a Limca television commercial and subsequently featured in several other commercials and advertisements, following which she began receiving offers for film roles. Shetty continued to pursue her career as a model until she became an actress.
Acting career
1993–1994: Debut and early roles
In September 1992, Shetty signed for and began working on her first film – the romantic drama Gaata Rahe Mera Dil – to be directed by Dilip Naik which tells the story of a girl involved in a love triangle between two men (played by Ronit Roy and Rohit Roy). However, the film went unreleased, which meant that Shetty's debut release was her next film, Abbas-Mustan's thriller Baazigar, alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Inspired by the Hollywood film A Kiss Before Dying (1956), the film featured Shetty in the supporting role of Seema Chopra, a girl who is murdered by her revenge-seeking boyfriend, played by Khan. Baazigar proved to be a major box office hit and finished up as the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year. Both the film as well as Shetty's performance received critical appreciation; Shetty received nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Lux New Face of the Year (now known as Best Female Debut) at the annual Filmfare Awards ceremony.
In 1994, Shetty had three film releases. Her first release that year was the action drama Aag, in which she played her first leading role. Co-starring Govinda and Sonali Bendre, the film saw Shetty portray Bijli, a village belle who is actually a plainclothes policewoman assigned to arrest a murderer (played by Govinda) at any cost. Aag emerged as a moderate box office success and fetched mixed critical reviews, as did Shetty's performance. Shetty next starred alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Raageshwari and Shakti Kapoor in the action comedy Main Khiladi Tu Anari. In the film, Shetty played the dual roles of Mona (a cabaret dancer and a gangster's girlfriend) and her look-alike Basanti (a village belle). The film which marked Shetty's first of many collaborations with Kumar proved to be a super-hit at the box office. Both the film as well as Shetty's performance received major critical acclaim; the success of Main Khiladi Tu Anari proved to be a breakthrough for Shetty. Her third and final release that year was the romantic drama Aao Pyaar Karen opposite Saif Ali Khan. The film, which narrates the love story of a wealthy man and his maid (played by Khan and Shetty respectively), underperformed at the box office.
1995–1999: Public recognition and widespread success
In 1995, Shetty starred in Hathkadi, where she was working alongside actors such as Saif Ali Khan, Govinda and Madhoo, but they failed at the box office. She made her Tamil film debut with 1996 released Mr. Romeo alongside actors Prabhu Deva and Madhoo. The film was a sleeper musical hit at the box office. 1997 was one of her busiest years: she appeared in six different films, beginning with the Telugu-language film Veedevadandi 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 1998, she had one release, Pardesi Babu, for which she received critical acclaim and won the Bollywood Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film.
2000–2007: Critical acclaim and commercial success
In 2000, Shetty received acclaim for her role in Dhadkan, 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 and Karisma Kapoor in the film Rishtey (2002). Her comic performance as an eccentric fisherwoman was appreciated and she received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, in addition to nominations for Best Comedian as well.
In 2004, Shetty appeared in Garv, in which she portrayed a Muslim orphan and disillusioned table dancer starring opposite Salman Khan. According to Shetty, she chose to do the film because she liked the subject. The film was a police drama. ..... The film, based on 1993's Philadelphia, was perceived to have tackled a social taboo as yet unaddressed by Bollywood. The film earned Shetty a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination and provided an impetus for her HIV-related charity work (see below). Film critic Taran Adarsh from IndiaFM noted: "Phir Milenge belongs to Shetty completely. She delivers, what can be rightly called, the performance of her career." This marked a break from the previous trend of superficial song-and-dance items in favour of roles that have a greater depth of character, exemplified by her film Dus (2005), an action thriller. Although it received average returns at the box office, Shetty stated that she had taken the role to reinvent herself by portraying the rather unconventional character of an anti-terrorist squad member.
In 2005, Shetty starred opposite Upendra in the Kannada film Auto Shankar. The film was a major box office success and it earned her the name "The Gabbar Singh of the South" due to her villainous role in the film. The same year, she starred in the film Fareb with her younger sister Shamita Shetty. Shetty 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 not entirely likable wife. In 2006, she was a judge alongside Farah Khan & Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, a Sony TV dance show based on the original UK show Strictly Come Dancing.
Shetty was once featured in Mani Ratnam's stage show Netru, Indru, Naalai.
2007 proved to be Shetty's most successful year at the box office. Her first release, Life in a... Metro, received highly positive critical reviews and became the first Bollywood movie to premiere at Leicester Square, London. The film performed well at the box office and was declared a semi-hit within three weeks of release. Additionally, the film was critically acclaimed and Shetty's performance was appreciated, with Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN writing: "It's a terrific performance and unquestionably Shetty's best to date". Her second release, alongside three Deols (Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby), the family drama Apne, was also a box office success.
Shetty starred in the unreleased 2010 Indo-Chinese drama The Desire, a film rescued during production by her mother, who stepped in when its producer abandoned the project unfinished.
Comeback and recent work (2021–present)
Shetty's only appearance on-screen during her break was in the 2014 film Dishkiyaoon, where she appeared in the song 'Tu Mere Type Ka Nahi Hai'. She made her comeback to films after 14 years, with the 2021 film Hungama 2 which received widely negative reviews.
Shetty will next appear in Nikamma alongside Abhimanyu Dassani and Shirley Setia. She will also be seen as the lead in her next women-centric film Sukhee with Amit Sadh. Shetty will make her web debut with Rohit Shetty's series 'Indian Police Force', joining as the first female cop in his Cop universe. She will appear alongside Sidharth Malhotra.
Off-screen work
In February 2006, Shetty lent support to a BBC World Service Trust television show designed to tackle the problem of HIV-AIDS in India. According to reports, she participated in order to show solidarity with HIV-AIDS sufferers. According to Shetty, the issue was particularly close to her heart as she had portrayed an HIV-positive sufferer in her 2004 film Phir Milenge. Speaking about the film 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 social awareness about AIDS in our country. It is high time we talked about this in our society".
In March 2006, various sources reported Shetty's joining PETA as part of an advertising campaign 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. 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?" In September 2006, alongside Farah Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Shetty began the first season of the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.
In January 2007, Shetty was a contestant and the subsequent winner of the British reality television series Celebrity Big Brother 5. She was the first Indian celebrity included in the show. Reportedly paid Rs.31.5 m (£367,500&) for her participation, she said to presenter Davina McCall, "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 told The Times of India that this "is the boldest decision Shilpa has taken so far." During her stay on the show, Shetty instructed fellow housemates Carole Malone and Ken Russell in meditation and flirted with Dirk Benedict but tempers started to fray by Day 7 as a clique 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, 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". In August 2008, Shetty began hosting the second season of the reality television series Bigg Boss, the Indian version of the international reality television series Big Brother. In February 2009, Shetty and Raj Kundra became part owners of the Indian Premier League franchise cricket team Rajasthan Royals by paying approximately US$15.4 million for an 11.7% stake. Shetty also co-owns the Indian chain of spas and salon called Iosis. Alongside Sajid Khan and Terrence Lewis, Shetty was featured as a talent judge for the dance reality show Nach Baliye (seasons 5, 6 and Shriman v/s Shrimati), from 2012 to 2014.
In March 2014, Shetty began hosting the reality television show Soney Ka Dil, which she also co-produced along with Kundra. The show format is based on featuring ordinary people who have contributed their extraordinary help to others in need. The same year, Shetty became a film producer with the action film Dishkiyaaoon, a box-office flop. With a black belt in karate, Shetty launched her fitness Yoga DVD in 2015.
Since early 2016, she has been judging the dance reality show Super Dancer on Sony Entertainment channel along with co-judges Geeta Kapoor and Anurag Basu. In 2017, The Indian government selected Shetty as a brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Mission, a campaign to improve sanitation throughout India. On 20 January 2020, she received the Champions of Change award for her work in that campaign.
In 2021, edible oils and food products company B.L. Agro Industries announced her as the brand ambassador for their food offerings brand Nourish under categories Pulses, Dry Fruits and Flours. In 2023, she invested Rs 2.25 crore in Shark Tank India fame WickedGud.
Personal life
Having worked with Akshay Kumar in Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Shetty began dating him on the set of Insaaf (1997), the latter having just broken up with actress Raveena Tandon. Shetty spoke openly about her relationship with Kumar. The Indian media speculated that she had got engaged, and reported that Kumar wanted Shetty to quit films and settle down. Shetty had stated, however, that she had no plans to marry. The couple broke up in 2000 whilst filming Dhadkan.
In February 2009, Shetty got engaged to Raj Kundra, with whom she was co-owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Rajasthan Royals. The two married on 22 November 2009. Shetty gave birth to a son on 21 May 2012. The couple had a second child, a girl, on 15 February 2020 via surrogacy.
In the media
Shetty established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema. Nayanika Das of Filmfare termed Shetty the "most vivacious and hard-working" actress. Shetty has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list from 2012 to 2016 and 2019. She ranked at 58th position with an estimated annual income of ₹126 million (US$2.1 million) in her debut. In 2019, she ranked 75th with an estimated annual income of ₹22.6 million (US$380,000).
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Rediff.com named Shetty the "Most Powerful Actress" of 2007. The actress is also known for her dancing skills. Shetty is a celebrity endorser for brands and products such as Pantene, Yakult, Kesh King, Mamaearth, B Natural and Fast & Up. Shetty was placed 59th in "Google Top 100 Most Searched Asians" list of 2022. Shetty has also received the Rajiv Gandhi Award in 2007. Times of India's placed her in its "50 Beautiful Faces" list and Rediff.com placed her in "Best Dressed Woman" list.
In February 2007, Shetty attended a reception at the House of Commons by invitation of Keith Vaz MP to meet with then Prime Minister Tony Blair. She was also invited to meet Queen Elizabeth II at Marlborough House in London in March 2007. During an interview on This Morning, Shetty confirmed that she turned the offer to act in the British EastEnders soap opera. Shetty was the subject of a Sky One documentary entitled The Real Shilpa Shetty, produced by British television production company Twofour. The large number of commercial offers that Shilpa received after winning Celebrity Big Brother 5 themselves became a 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 in India. In 2007, she also modelled at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week.
In 2019 the actress, who has long been the poster girl for fitness, launched a holistic wellness app, The Shilpa Shetty app, which features yoga routines, functional training, special regimes (for women who are pregnant, struggling with menstrual cramps and so on), and daily nutrition charts for each program. "I think lifestyle modifications are the need of the hour. There's something for everyone on the app. You can do the workouts within the comfort of your home, without any equipment," Shilpa says. In 2009, Shetty was among the 10 recipients of the IIFA-FICCI Frames Awards for the "Most Powerful Entertainers of the Decade". Shetty has received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Leeds.
Awards and nominations
Shetty has received four Filmfare Awards nominations. Best Female Debut for Baazigar, Best Supporting Actress for Baazigar and Rishtey, and Best Actress for Phir Milenge.
See also
In Spanish: Shilpa Shetty para niños
- List of Indian film actresses
