‘My struggle started when I was typecast in glam roles’
Shilpa Shetty Kundra completes 25 years in Bollywood, this year. She made her debut with the hit film Baazigar (1993) alongside Shah Rukh Khan, in a twoalso eroine film, that starred Kajol. But Shilpa says a career in films was never planned, and the film that gave her a sound footing in the Hindi film industry, was actually incidental. “I didn’t think I was going to make it (acting) a career. At17,I was going from one agency to another to earn pocket money, as a model. I only got into that because someone suggested that since I am tall, I should try my hand at modelling. After getting a portfolio done and sending pictures to different agencies, I was offered a film. Voh toh bani nahi (that film never got made), but somebody in that agency noticed me, and told the producers of Baazigar, and the rest is history,” says the actor.
In the ’90s, Shilpa worked in various films, but was almost always seen in a glamorous avatar. That, she says, was a result of being typecast. “Back in the day, when somebody had a hit film, everybody would love to cast that one person only. I didn’t have to struggle to land films. The struggle started mid-way towards my career. People started typecasting me in just glamorous roles. At that point, we were like glamour dolls in movies, we were dedicated to doing that. After this, there was a lull in my career, but then Dhadkan (2000) happened, and my career revived. I have seen it all — the highs and the lows. But I never gave up,” says Shilpa.
The actor had her last fullfledged role in a Bollywood film 11 years back in Apne, (2007). Asked what has kept her away from the silver screen for all these years, and Shilpa, who is also a writer and a producer, says, “I was busy with a host of stuff. I recently released my book, Diary Of A Domestic Diva. I am also a wife and mother, which is a full-time job! My last appearance was in 2014 (Dishkiyaaoon), but taking the break was out of choice. I delivered my son Viaan after that, and I believe that the first five years were really important for him. If I wanted to work in films during that time, I would have had to give at least 40-60 days to a film, which I didn’t want to.” However, she does yearn to get back to films. “I miss it [acting in films]. I did television, so I am still there in people’s minds. I had to work just onetwo days there, and so I could give the rest of my time to my son.”