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Shilpa Shetty
(Filmography)
(Reviews)
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Born Jun 08
She was her school team's baseball captain. She is a black belt Karate champion. She actively participates in her father's chemical business. Acting was the only thing she had not tried her hand at. So when Abbas-Mustan offered me Baazigar I took it up, she said. And the baazi certainly paid off for Shilpa Shetty who was offered dozen offers after the film. Blame it on inexperience or her tender age (she was 16 when she began her career in films) but the films that Shilpa agreed to do stood absolutely little or no chance at the box-office. Baazigar was the only hit that she had had and its success was attributed more to the lead pair Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. Shilpa appearance in the film was as good as the blink and miss kind.
Her second film Aag with Govinda that also marked the debut of the sultry Sonali Bendre, met with little success at the box-office. Govinda who seemed to be pretty impressed with the lady long legs time and again recommended her for several films like Hathkadi, Chote Sarkar, Gambler and Pardesi Babu, but none of the film made a difference to her stagnant career.
Even films opposite stars like Sunny Deol (Himmat) and Saif Ali Khan (Aao Pyar Karen) failed to consolidate her status as an actress. The Jain brothers of Venus the music company who gave her break in Baazigar took it upon themselves to get her career started once again and signed her for Main Khiladi Tu Anari opposite Khiladi Akshay Kumar. Meanwhile she also did a few films down South because they offered her good money. Shilpa was particularly excited about Saagar Kanya with Southern superstar and ace dance master Prabhudeva where she played a mermaid. But the film crashed at the box-office leaving little or practically no hope for her.
The song "Chura ke dil mera goriya chali" from Main Khiladi Tu Anari became of the biggest rage of 1994 and was expected to resurrect not only Shilpa's but also Akshay's and Saif's career. But nothing of that sort happened. MKTA was a hit yet nothing spectacular happened to her career. Shilpa Shetty was back to square one. In a desperate bid she even signed KC Bokadia's Laal Badshah only because it had Amitabh Bachchan in the lead. She did not even charge a rupee from Bokadia to do the film. But Laal Badshah further worsened her career prospects.
It was during this time that Venus came to her rescue again and signed her to play the lead in Dhadkan. Dharmesh Darshan who had just achieved great heights with Raja Hindustani was roped in to direct the film that also featured Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar has Shilpa Shetty's heroes. It was while shooting for this film that Dharmesh Darshan advised her to get a nose job done. When the press questioned her about it she said in defense, "A nose job in today's time is as common as threading, come on!" It may have taken only an hour or so for her nose surgery but sadly the same could not be said about the film that was time and again being bogged down by controversies. Arbaaz Khan was signed in to replace Sunil Shetty. Sunil Shetty was later roped in again and Arbaaz Khan was out.
Meanwhile Dharmesh Dhadkan got busy with Mela and Dhadkan was stalled unceremoniously crashing all hopes. Whether the film would get completed or not Shetty babe had already lost her heart out to Akshay Kumar by then who had just called it quits with Raveena Tandon. Not wanting to meet with the same fate as Tandon did (Akshay had never acknowledged Raveena Tandon in print), Shilpa Shetty saw to it that he announced their relationship publicly! But still what was the guarantee that even though their relationship was out in print Akshay Kumar would marry her? And as predicted Akshay began dating Twinkle seriously and wanted to get out of his commitment (if there was any) to Shilpa.
By this time Shilpa was even accused of doing vulgar dance numbers like the UP Bihar lootne in Shool. There was also another number that she had done in Tarkeib. "In fact people thought that I was the saving grace in both the films," she countered.
Meanwhile Dharmesh Darshan's extravagant Mela was released. Call it twist of fate or destiny but the Aamir Khan-Faisal Khan -Twinkle Khanna starrer Mela bombed badly and in a desperate bid to make to the limelight once again Dharmesh Darshan immediately began the shooting of the the five-year old Dhadkan once again. He promised to wrap up the film in matter of two months and release it instantly. But by then Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty had split. Both reported to the shooting religiously and never breathed a word about their separation to the press. "We are good friends," they maintained. Shilpa was considered Dhadkan to be her last resort. It would either make or break her.
But as soon as Dhadkan hit the theatres and was declared a hit, Shilpa Shetty lashed out at Akshay Kumar in print. Hurling expletives like liar and cheater she finally confessed that how Akshay had two timed her with Twinkle Khanna. Akshay on the other hand only maintained that he had made no commitment to Shetty at all. "I had only told her that let's see how this relationship works out then decide to go steady," he said.
Thankfully after Dhadkan things began looking up for Shilpa Shetty once again. Sunny Deol signed her for Indian and was recently seen in Badhaai Ho Badhaai, Hathyar, Karz, Chor Maachaye Shor and Rishtey. And it is after all the hard work and struggle she for the first time in all these years has bagged the best actor in a comic role nomination. What more could one ask for, right Shilpa?
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