‘You can’t last forever because of your relationships’
When Mohabbatein (2000) hit the silver screen, it made instant heartthrobs out of its lead pairs. One character that made its way to everyone’s hearts was that of Ishika, portrayed by debutante Shamita Shetty. Two decades on, Shamita answers the nepotism allegations and navigating her way in the industry. “When I joined, there were comparisons. People think that it’s very easy for those who have families in the industry. To an extent, it gets easier to get in the industry, but you can’t last forever because of your relationships. It is only your talent and luck that will keep you here. I gave so many auditions for my first film. It’s not as if I got it because I was Shilpa Shetty’s sister. It made it easier for me to be introduced to that camp, and also the fact that I was doing my internship with Manish Malhotra (fashion designer) at that time. If you look at my career, I have not done as much work as I would have liked to do,” she says.
But being a celebrity also means living under public scrutiny. She says, “You have to be able to hold on to yourself and know who you are. My family and friends know who I am, and the rest of it doesn’t matter. Yes, it does affect you, especially on social media platforms where people are so easily passing judgements. But then you reach a stage where you stop getting affected by this.”
Never the one to shy away from matters that count, Shamita tweeted about Sushant Sigh Rajput’s case being handed over to the CBI. “I feel bad for what the family is going through; everybody deserves to know the truth. They need to get closure on this and I feel it has been dragged for so long. We don’t know what the truth is. But it was amazing to see so many people come together, unanimously asking for a CBI enquiry. I hope that truth comes out,” she says.
Reinstating the importance of family in keeping one balanced, Shamita feels that making time for your family is of utmost priority. “Family is the only thing that matters. Shilpa is somebody I look upto; I adore her kids. I enjoy the time I have with them,” she shares.