Bollywood focus: Shilpa Shetty

...Shilpa started her career by modeling for a soft drink named Limca in 1991....

Shilpa Shetty was born on 8th June 1975 in a strict and traditional close-knit family although she was born in Tamil Nadu. She is the elder daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty. She attended St. Anthony Girls’ High School, located in Chembur, and later attended Podar College. She is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer. She was also into sports and was the captain of the baseball team in school and earned a black belt in Karate and currently a dance sport expert and enthusiast.

Shilpa started her career by modeling for a soft drink named Limca in 1991. An award-winning Indian film actress and model, she made her debut in the film Baazigar in 1993. Although she was a supporting actress alongside Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, the film was a major success and earned her a nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.

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. 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 Pyar Karen followed by Hathkadi where she was working alongside actors such as Saif Ali Khan, Govinda and Madhoo but they failed at the box office.

In 2000 Shetty received much acclaim for her role in Dhadkan which did quite well at the Indian box office. She received several nominations under the Best Actress category in different award ceremonies. She would later go on to star with Anil Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor in the film Rishtey. Her comic performance as an eccentric fisherwoman was appreciated and she received a nomination under the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award category and various nominations for Best Comedy as well. She was also regarded as one of the best dancers Bollywood have and she also did couple of item numbers in movies the famous one was Dil Walo Ke Dil Ka Karar from movie Shool.

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 though the film had moderate business at the box office she was critically acclaimed. However, she received much acclaim for her performance in Phir Milenge which critics consider as her best performance so far, where she makes a sensitive portrayal of a successful city high-flyer who contracts HIV via unprotected sex and becomes a social outcast as a result.

She also starred with her sister Shamita Shetty, in the film Fareb. In 2006, she was a judge on Jhalak Dikhlaja, a Sony Entertainment Television.

The year 2007 proved to be her most successful year at the box office and in her life. Her first release, Life In A... Metro did decent business at the box office. The film was also critically acclaimed and Shetty's performance was appreciated by audiences and critics as well. Her second release, Apne was a good performer at the box office, receiving a semi-hit status.

Shetty was a contestant in and the winner of Celebrity Big Brother UK. She is the first Indian celebrity included in the Celebrity version. She was reportedly paid Rs.31.5m for her participation. Shilpa was one of the winners in the show and the British public showered votes on her. 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. She was also invited to meet with Queen Elizabeth II at Marlborough House in London in March 2007.

In early months of 2007, Shilpa got into controversies at the Aids concert were Hollywood star Richard Gere continuously kissed Shilpa on her cheeks.