SVELTE SHILPA

The early Shilpa that debuted in Baazigar was slim, dark girl with large eyes and big hair.  She was cruelly bumped off by the boy she loved, and fell to her death, floating to the ground.  The movie Baazigar was a big hit and, retrospectively the launchpad of three great stars, Kajol, Shahrukh and Shilpa.  The pretty Shilpa was noticed immediately.  She had modelled for Limca when she was 16, her chisled features making her a surefire success in front of the camera.  Her next movie, Aag with Govinda did not fare well.

STEALER OF HEARTS

The story was different in Main Khiladi Tu Anari.  The grim police officer, Akshay Kumar was wooed by Shilpa who dreams about them cavorting in Manali. Akshay sang 'Chura ke dil mera goriya chali'  The reed slim and tall Shilpa sizzled in the song and melted the snows in Manali. The movie was a big hit and Shilpa had arrived.

The Election Commissioner, TN Sheshan went on record to say that Shilpa Shetty was his favorite. 

If she could steal the heart of a grim government servant, what chance did ordinary mortals have?

BIG LEAGUE

She worked with several big stars in the coming years. Govinda, Akshay Kumar and Sunny Deol were the top young heros through the 90s, and she was there alongside them in the masala movies.  Playing a girlfriend most times, and ever ready to help the hero de-stress by shaking a leg with him.  She danced well and looked good in skimpy clothes thanks  to her gorgeous lines.

Hathkadi, Himmat, Mr. Romeo, Zameer, Auzaar, Insaaf, Aakrosh, Gambler, were her good bad or indifferent movies throughout the 90s.

ITEM HOTTIE

She sizzled especially in the hot numbers.  When she sang the sexy 'mein aayi hoon UP Bihar lootne' the press coined the term Item Number to signify a stop-press moment in the movie where the thrills were suspended for 3 minutes and the viewers treated to a dance number while the hero prowled restlessly in trail of the villian.

A Shilpa item became a staple in most movies, thanks to her electric moves.

HEARTBEAT

Dharmesh Darshan's Dhadkan was a romantic movie through and through.  The sanctity of marriage upheld through many storms.  The songs were very hummable, the stars put in a great performance. Sunil Shetty was a the tortured, rejected lover, Akshay Kumar was the dutiful husband.  Shilpa looked as gorgeous in sarees as she did in western outfits as she stuck to the Bhartiya Naari routine. The movie was a major hit, and Shilpa moved to playing mature roles, from her usual sweetheart ones.

In Indian, she played the wife of Sunny Deol.  Here again she played a mom and a housewife and looked wonderful, 'chal nawabi'.  In Rishtey, she was in a family drama once more. In Fareb, she starred alongside her hot sister, Shamita.

Then came Phir Milenge, a sensitive movie by Revati involving AIDS in the time of love. Shilpa finds herself a single mother who finds that she is has AIDS thanks to her infected lover, Salman.  She loses her job and finds her friends dropping out on her.  She is helped by Abhishek, a lawyer.  In this desi Philadelphia, she put in a magnificent performance.

ACTION QUEEN

Things were getting stale and Shilpa was in danger of being slotted in the side heroine category.  She had to compete with many new hot young girls trying to edge her out.  Just then came Anubhav Kashyap's Dus.  It was a movie about an Anti-Terrorist Cell run by Sanjay Dutt.  Shilpa is his number two and had several remarkable stunt sequences.  Her gorgeous lines were highlighted in her low waisted trekkies.  With a visible eagle tattoo adorning the small of her back, she sizzled despite playing a grim unglamourous ATC officer. It was a glorious comeback for Shilpa.

QUEEN OF BLUES

Shilpa grabbed eyeballs in 2007. First she was in the Big Brother TV Show in Britain where she had a nasty altercation with Jade Goody.  She came shining out the sequestered house and won a big prize. What followed was a publicity blitz in UK.

When she came home, she finished Anurag Basu's Life in a .. Metro, which had been on hold thanks to her reality show.  The movie released to huge acclaim. She played a young wife going torn between love and marriage.  She finds herself attracted to a young stage artist, Shiney, and nearly dumps her husband, Kay Kay for him.  In this ensemble movie, she scored high.  The movie too, did very well.

Apne, the Deol family get together by Anil Sharma also did very well. Although the spotlight was on the Deols, Shilpa, as usual was a the graceful wife of Sunny Deol, who stands by him.

GOSSSSSIP

Shilpa has been in the eye of the storm so often that a mere listing of all her controversial associations could fill the page.  From the serious allegations of links with the underworld to the usual romantic linkups with Akshay Kumar.The two were quite an item till they were broken up by Twinkle, who quickly became the MRS.  Shilpa is allegedly still miffed on Akshay till date.

Then came the Richard Gere kissing controversy.  RG dipped Shilpa and pecked her on the cheek at an  AIDS conference. The issue snowballed and was taken to the courts.

Then the Big Brother brouhaha with Jade Goody. Racism reared its ugly head in the Big Brother house in UK. Shilpa came out a winner from there.

Recently Shilpa was accused of breaking up the marriage of Raj Kundra, a London based industrialist and producer.  Raj denied that Shilpa was the cause of his breakup. The couple has recently admitted that they are dating.

FILMOGRAPHY

•  Forever (2007/I) (pre-production) .... Amrita Ledew
•  Apne (2007) .... Simran
•  Life in a... Metro (2007) .... Shikha Kapoor
•  Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar (2006) .... Ahana
•  Dus (2005) .... Aditi
•  Fareb (2005) .... Neha
•  Khamoshh... Khauff Ki Raat (2005) .... Sonia
•  Auto Shankar (2005) .... Money Lender
•  Phir Milenge (2004) .... Tamanna Sahni
•  Garv: Pride and Honour (2004) .... Jannat
•  Ondagona Baa (2003) .... Belli
•  Darna Mana Hai (2003) .... Gayathri
•  Karz: The Burden of Truth (2002) .... Sapna
•  Rishtey (2002) .... Vaijanti
•  Hathyar (2002) .... Gauri Shivalkar
•  Chor Machaaye Shor (2002) .... Kaajal
•  Badhaai Ho Badhaai (2002) .... Radha/Banto Betty
•  Junoon (2002)
•  Indian (2001) .... Anjali Rajshekar Azad
•  Bhalevadivi Basu (2001) .... Shilpa
•  Maduve Agona Baa (2001) .... Preeti
•  Preethsod Thappa (2001)
•  Azaad (2000) .... Kanaka Mahalaxmi
•  Dhadkan (2000) .... Anjali
•  Tarkieb (2000) .... Preeti Sharma
•  Kushi (2000) .... Macarena (Special Appearance: song)
•  Jung (2000) .... Tara (Balli's girlfriend)
•  Jaanwar (1999) .... Mamta
•  Shool (1999) .... Dancer (in song 'UP Bihar')
•  Lal Baadshah (1999) .... Lawyer's daughter
•  Pardesi Babu (1998) .... Chinni Chopra
•  Aakrosh: Cyclone of Anger (1998) .... Komal
•  Gambler (1997) .... Ritu
•  Prithvi (1997) .... Neha
•  Insaaf: The Final Justice (1997) .... Divya
•  Zameer: The Awakening of a Soul (1997) .... Roma Khurana
•  Auzaar (1997) .... Prathna Thakur
•  Dus (1997) .... Journalist (Sutradhar)
•  Veedeva Dani Babu (1997)
•  Mr. Romeo (1996)
•  Chhote Sarkar (1996) .... Inspector Seema
•  Himmat (1996) .... Nisha
•  Sahasa Veerudu Sagara Kanya (1996) .... Sona
•  Hathkadi (1995) .... Neha
•  Aao Pyaar Karen (1994) .... Chhaya
•  Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994) .... Mona
•  Aag (1994) .... Bijli
•  Baazigar (1993) .... Seema M. Chopra