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Shilpa Shetty (Tulu: ಶಿಲ್ಪ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ;
born 8 June 1975) is an Indian film actress and model. Since
making her debut in the film Baazigar (1993), she has appeared
in nearly 50 Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films,
her first leading role being in the 1994 Aag. Although she went
through years of decline during her career, Shetty was willing
to reinvent herself quite often. Her performances in Dhadkan
(2000) and Rishtey (2002) were appreciated, while her portrayal
of an AIDS patient in Phir Milenge (2004), won her many
accolades. Her younger sister Shamita Shetty is also a Bollywood
film actress.
Shetty has been embroiled in various controversies including
suspected mafia links. In 2006 she was issued with a warrant on
charges of obscenity. After taking part in the British Celebrity
Big Brother TV show in 2007, Shetty was crowned the winner with
63% of the final vote,[1] after an international racism
controversy involving her and fellow contestants Jade Goody, Jo
O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd. This was followed by her comeback to
films in 2007 when she acted in two successive movies, Life in
a... Metro and Apne, with her performance in the former drawing
positive reviews. Shetty thus re-established her status in the
film industry.[2]
On April 15, 2007, Shetty was kissed several times in jest on the cheek by
Richard Gere during an AIDS-awareness event.[87] The pair had appeared at a
press conference in New Delhi as part of a campaign to preach safe sex to truck
drivers in India and promotion of AIDS awareness.[88] The kiss, considered an
attack on India's cultural and moral values, prompted protesters—alleged members
of the extremist Hindu group Shiv Sena—to beat burning effigies of Gere with
sticks.[89] Others set fire to glamour shots of Shetty. People demanded an
apology from her and threatened to ban her movies in the state.[90] Shiv Sena
leaders denied involvement in the protests, but Shiv Sena member of parliament
Sanjay Raut 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"[91]
Similar protests broke out in other cities, including Varanasi, Hinduism's
holiest city, and in the northern town of Meerut, where crowds of hundreds of
thousands chanted "Down with Shilpa Shetty!" Star News 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.[92]
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."[92]
On April 26, 2007 an Indian court in Rajasthan issued a warrant for Shetty and
Gere's arrest.[93]
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 offense and Shetty has stated: "so
much has been blown out of proportion".[9 |
