Indian actress and film producer (born 1975)
Shilpa Shetty Kundra (born Ashwini Shetty on 8 June 1975) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films and television. She made her screen debut in the thriller "Baazigar" (1993) which gained her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Shetty 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 with AIDS in the 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), and gained attention for the song "Shut Up &amp; Bounce" from "Dostana" (2008). This was followed by a hiatus from acting.
In 2006, she ventured into reality television by judging the dance reality show "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa". In early 2007, Shetty joined the fifth series of the UK reality show "Celebrity Big Brother", ultimately winning the series. During her stay, Shetty received international media coverage and attention for the racism she endured from several of her housemates. Her win was followed by a spot hosting the second season of the Indian version of the show, "Bigg Boss" in 2008. Shetty has since appeared as a judge on several dance and music reality-competition shows, including "Zara Nachke Dikha" (2010), "Nach Baliye" (2012–2020) and "Super Dancer" (2016–2021), and she has made appearances on "Indian Idol" (2021–2023). She returned to acting in 2021 with the comedy film "Hungama 2" and has since starred in the action series "Indian Police Force" (2024).
In addition to her screen work, 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.
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 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.
Career.
1993–1999: Early success and career fluctuations.
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 Female Debut and Best Supporting Actress 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 Debutant Sonali Bendre, the film saw Shetty portray Bijli, a village belle who is actually an undercover 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.
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", alongside Govinda and Raveena Tandon, for which she received critical acclaim and won the Bollywood Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film. In 1999, she appeared in commercial success "Jaanwar" alongside Akshay Kumar and Karishma Kapoor.
2000–2008: Commercial success and "Celebrity Big Brother".
In 2000, Shetty received acclaim for her role in the musical romantic drama "Dhadkan", which earned reasonable takings at the Indian box office. She received several nominations under the Best Actress category at various 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 her second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, in addition to nominations for Best Comedian as well.
In 2004, Shetty appeared in the police drama "", 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. She received widespread critical acclaim for her performance in "Phir Milenge", in which she played a successful city high-flyer who contracts HIV from unprotected sex and becomes a social outcast as a result. 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 likeable wife. In 2006, she was a judge alongside Farah Khan &amp; Sanjay Leela Bhansali on "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa", a Sony TV dance show based on the original UK show "Strictly Come Dancing".
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&amp;) 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".
2007 proved to be Shetty's most successful year at the box office. Her first release, "Life in a... Metro", received widespread critical acclaim and became the first Bollywood film to premiere at Leicester Square, London. The film performed well at the box office and was declared a 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.
Television judge and intermittent acting work (2010–present).
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. 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.
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 next appeared in "Nikamma" alongside Abhimanyu Dassani and Shirley Setia. She starred in the female-led comedy "Sukhee" with Amit Sadh. Shetty next starred in Rohit Shetty's series 'Indian Police Force', joining as the first female cop in his Cop universe.
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