Shilpa Shetty gets candid about her 25 years of career like never before

Shilpa Shetty Kundra

To start right from the beginning, you literally stooped to conquer with your debut, Baazigar (1993), falling off a terrace, and rising as a star. Take us through that iconic scene. Hear there was no body-double, VFX, you actually hung there for three hours in a harness?
It was the whole shift, not just three hours! The only time they got me down was during lunch-break. We shot that sequence, the same way, over four days. And we shot it several times. Back then, we had no technology - just getting a hang of even the green [chroma] screen. They shot me falling with the harness on, and with the camera on top, and there was a building cut-out, which was moving. The harness marks are still there on my belly bone. They left deep cuts, as they were not sponged. I am just happy, I was okay. Being new, I didn't know any better.

You were 17, that's almost child labour!
Which is what I am saying. When you are young and don't know much, you are open to experimenting. I had no idea why I was in the movies. I was offered a role, and I did it. Because there was so much effort put into that sequence, I guess it stood out.

But Bazigaar was not your first film. There's one called Gaata Rahe Mera Dil, a love-triangle, with Rohit and Ronit Roy. Were they playing brothers in the movie?
No! And I want to kill you for bringing this up. It's my deep-dark secret. It was my first film. Fortunately, or unfortunately, it didn't happen.

Why unfortunately?
Because the financers ran out of money, and I don't think I would have become this big a star, given Baazigar was a platinum-jubilee hit. And nothing succeeds like success! Gaata Rahe Mera Dil was supposed to be directed by Dilip Naik, who was earlier an assistant to Yashji [Chopra]. He saw me at an agency, where I was giving a screen test.

You were already modelling then?
Yes, I had finished school, and someone had clicked my photographs. It was completely random. I had to no inkling of what I was doing in the industry, or how I got here. It was all chalked out by God. At that time, Jaan Tere Naam had released, Ronit Roy was really big, with his famous song, Yeh Akkha India Jaanta Hai. So I was like, "Woah! I am going to work with Ronit Roy." The script was centred on the girl, who falls in love with this guy, who dies. She loses hope, and someone who looks like him, comes into her life. The guy gets killed because of [his love for] music...

Shilpa Shetty in conversation at mid-day office. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Sounds like Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai to me.
No, it wasn't. I'm not getting into details.

Why, someone else will steal that script?
No! So, anyway, someone at Venus [production company], which was auditioning for Baazigar, saw my pictures in a full-page ad, in a trade paper [announcing my debut]. Srideviji was supposed to play a double-role in Baazigar initially, because that is how the original film [A Kiss Before Dying] is [supposed to be].

Apparently when Abbas-Mustan told you Baazigar was a remake of A Kiss Before Dying, the first thing you said was you're not going to kiss in the movie!
Yes. I was really dumb [laughs]. I told them clearly that I won't kiss in the movie. I haven't kissed on-screen. That was always my condition.

But it was a rule with a lot of people then. Salman (Khan) still doesn't.
Yes. Shah Rukh Khan kisses?

Yes.
Earlier even he had this condition in his contracts. I got away with it. Imagine if I was in the industry now!

The other thing you had an issue with, you've mentioned, is with Hindi. Odd, since you grew up in Chembur, no?
I could speak Tulu well, having spent a lot of time with my grandmother in Mumbai. We would speak English at home. I spoke Hindi on the 'katta' at Poddar College, for half a year that I went to college. I am also a college dropout, if you remember. And the Hindi was all, "Aata hai, mereko, tereko…" My grammar was rubbish. In Bazigaar I would get my lines in my small make-up room in Film City. I would write those lines in English [Roman script] first. After, "Start sound, action," the camera would roll at a volume 10 time louder than usual, and I would forget all my lines. I remember Shah Rukh telling me, "Just perform for the audience. Forget that the camera is staring at you. Just do it as if no one [around] is watching." This was of great help.

So you went back to college after Baazigar?
My father had put just one condition - that I complete my education. He wanted me to join his business. We made pilfer-proof caps for medicine bottles. It was interesting, but not something I wanted to pursue. So after Bazigaar released, I'd go to college, and there would be a traffic jam. Even dad realised that it'd be difficult for me to keep up with the curriculum.

You do Bazigaar, then Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), which is just as huge. Seems like Vivek Oberoi's career to me: Company, then Saathiya, and then a bunch of films that few talk about. True?
[Laughs]. But, you know, strangely, a lot of songs from all the films that we don't remember are big hits, even today. That's the funny thing about my filmography. People don't remember the movies. But they do recall the terrible songs!

Why terrible, they were hits!
They were really terrible. Like I remember this song, Tak Taka Tak [Zameer], and then we had Barana De [Insaaf]. They were hilarious. But I was getting paid. I'd do my job, and get out. With due respect, I really think I am blessed. You made a massive comeback with Dhadkan (2000), which is considered a landmark, in terms of commerce, yes, but you were also taken seriously as an actor. Yes, before Dhadkan, I was doing only glamorous roles; and in the '90s, the film industry was predominantly male-dominated. It still is, but is gradually changing. At that time even the heroines didn't care. We were paid, and it was fewer days of work on a film. We did three shifts. It worked out well. Dhadkan took five years to make. By which time I had been totally written off. Akshay [Kumar] had had some major flops. Suniel [Shetty] also had had terrible flops. So, all three big flop-actors were in one movie. The film got shelved. Dharmesh [Darshan] started working on Mela, with bigger stars. His point was, "Itne saare flop actors ko kaun jayega theatre main dekhne!" I went begging to Dharmesh's mom, told her my life has come to a standstill - why doesn't her son want to make this film? I've never narrated this incident before. So, she later spoke to Dharmesh, and told him, "Kisi ki hai nahi leni chaihye. Movie ko complete kar de." Dharmesh finished Dhadkan. Mela flopped. Our film became a big hit, because of the songs, or my prayers. That's life.

The songs are still huge.
Yes, they still play at weddings.

But looking at your career in terms of pure performance, Phir Milenge (2004), stands out, right? Strong role, non-mainstream film, much loved.
For sure. I give a lot of credit to [director] Revathy. She made me believe that people love you for who you are, and the character you project. And not the make-up you wear. I was playing someone detected HIV positive, and I decided to use a bit of concealer and kajal. She said, you can't do this! When I shed my inhibitions, I felt like a new person. But there was a film called Rishtey [2002], where I had put it far more effort, which was, again, a huge flop. I played a Koli woman, worked on my dialect, spoke in Marathi, with a twang. There were long dialogues, and the very first scene that [director] Inder Kumar shot was the confrontation scene, the climax, between Karisma [Kapoor] and me. I was supposed to slap her, she pushes me. How am I going to do this? I got nominated for the part, but didn't win any awards. That was the most difficult role of my career.

Shouldn't the toughest part be playing yourself in [the reality show] Big Brother, being locked for three months, in the UK (2007)? You'd seen the show before? What made you do it?
I had watched the show, yes, but didn't know what I was getting myself into. My career was going through a lull. So was I, personally. When they offered me the money they did, and said I just had to play myself - firstly, I had no idea why they wanted me. After I came out of the house I realised there is a huge Indian diaspora they were catering to.

And you were the only foreigner in the house.
Yes, feeling like an alien. It was the first time I had been abroad alone, left to fend for myself. I was used to walking with an entourage. Here, I was a glorified maid - cooking, cleaning, since no one else [in the house] was interested. To top that, everyone would complain. It was a thankless job. They spoke about how I was eating with my hands, bitched me out. One had no idea how people were perceiving you from outside. Suddenly, in the second week, I saw helicopters circling the house, shutters were coming down. The scale on which they were shooting was really huge.

Looking back, what did it teach you?
Firstly, it makes you brain-dead. For three and half weeks, I always felt that I would get eliminated. I was praying to get out. After a fortnight, I realised something was happening. I was being treated badly. But I never put it down to racism. I just felt like the girls were very insecure.

But the racism row became huge, even discussed in the British parliament. What was it like living through that?
After I came out, they first took me to a psychiatrist. I was mentally scarred [laughs]. The one thing I remember vividly was that I had forgotten how to use a phone, or type messages. [As for public response] I had children and old ladies come up to me and cry. At some point they had faced racism. They could associate me with their experiences. A lady told me, "After Gandhiji, if there is any Indian that people will know by name, it's Shilpa Shetty." That was a big compliment. But it was a scary and unnerving experience at the human level. So when I met Gordon Brown, he apologised; Tony Blair did the same. Every time I met someone, they would apologise, saying, "We aren't like this. It is terrible what you went through." They felt huge guilt. Today, if you ask me to be part of Big Brother, my answer would be no.

But what do you make of that kind of fame: it's overnight, and disappears overnight, too? Did that happen?
There was a lot I did there [in the UK] for almost a year and half. I got married after, so I didn't want to do anything. I was offered [BBC's] EastEnders. But anywhere you want to make a base, you have to make that country your own, and I wasn't willing to do that. I didn't do it for marriage, wouldn't for work.

Is that where you met your husband (Raj Kundra)? How did that happen?
A month after Big Brother, Raj was introduced to me through a common friend. Anybody who becomes famous there, can have a perfume [brand of their own]. And guess what, it even does well [laughs]. So Raj knew the owners of my perfume company. I had a firm doing the deal, but Raj offered me triple the money. He had a soft spot for me. And I was like, "He's such a cute guy!" So I did the deal, and that's how we met.

Another unique facet of your public life is that after a stint on films, TV, you're the first Indian celebrity to get on YouTube, starting out with fitness stuff. Would that be correct?
I'll tell you why there are no celebrities on YouTube. Because it doesn't make you any money [laughs]. People go there to become celebrities. I am a little cracked that way. But I've always been this person. I did a Yoga DVD 13 years ago! I used to be a state-level volleyball player even before I joined movies, and probably the only actress who would go to the gym. The hero would be shocked to find me there. Primarily, I wanted to bring about awareness towards health. It started out in a small way. I spent money from my pocket to shoot videos for YouTube, so people could get back to home-style cooking. I wanted to inculcate habits on how, when, and how much to eat. This whole influx of junk food joints makes me really sad. I've lost a couple of people who were really close, many in my circle are suffering from cancer, and immunity disorders. All this boils down to one thing: our lifestyle, and eating habits. I might get shot someday, as I say some honest things.

Why would you get shot?
Because these huge conglomerates are not happy. As celebrities we are at a blessed position. People take us seriously. So why not make use of that voice with something as important as health?

I know you talk strongly against aerated drinks. Ever asked your contemporary movie-stars to stop endorsing them?
It's not my place. But as celebrities we have great power. Aerated drinks are the worst things to have happened to this generation. My son has never tasted them. He is six, and has actually given up refined sugar. He calls it poison. They say sugar is more addictive, if not as addictive, as cocaine. If you don't encourage your children to smoke, drink, why would you let them have aerated drinks?

Popular diet regimens/fads keep changing every few months. What do you personally advocate?
To keep it simple. Go back to how people ate 70 years ago.

But people were dying damn young 70 years ago!
Maybe you're talking about open-heart surgeries, and advances in medicine. But look at the quality of life they led. And look at ours. Fine, we are living up to 70 years, but with diabetes, and many other illnesses. And I don't want to sound preachy. But if there is a change that has to happen, it is the current generation that we need to
target. That's my idea behind getting on social media.

Many would aspire to have a body shape like yours, a lot of which is also determined by genetics, do you think?
You can literally reverse a bad deck of genes, with a good lifestyle. I put on 32 kilograms after my child was born. I just let myself go. I was having a baby really late, and this became my alibi. But I have changed my lifestyle, and with that I don't mean I am not eating. I have a tablespoon of ghee with my lunch. I don't eat after 8 pm. If Raj is late, he has dinner alone! If you are fit and happy, you can be a catalyst in making others happy.

I haven't seen your Yoga videos, but I did see you do Yoga with Baba Ramdev. Honestly, if I become the finest practitioner of Yoga in the world, is Baba Ramdev the best I can look like?
What if I tell you that he's someone who's suffered paralysis, and got out of it with Yoga? He's such a fit man. He was able to single-handedly encourage people to take it up. Only old people used to do Yoga before. The younger generation would hit the gym, or do other workouts: Pilates, etc. Yoga has suddenly got its importance back.
You think the West, especially coastal US, taking to Yoga made it hip back here as well? That could be one of the reasons. In India, for sure, it was Babaji, though. I give him that credit. As for younger generation, I'd also take some of the credit, for making it look cool! On a serious note, because you brought it up, I don't know why we tend to ape the West so much. The power of Indian food is unbelievable. And while we're copying the West, it's funny that as an antithesis, the West is copying us - using coconut oil, clarified butter, which is ghee...

We touched on food, films, fitness. On fashion, I'm told, you don't wear animal prints anymore. Why? That was your thing!
It was my thing. But then you grow up, and move on. And it's not like I don't wear animal prints. Dolce & Gabbana used it for years, Gucci brought it back. Animal prints will never get out of style. But, I'm slowly turning into a yogini [laughs]. I just want to wear white kurtas, jeans. Just keep it simple. But then, I feel, no one will click my photos then, or they'll grill me on social media!

Final question: One thing I wanted to ask you about was the concept of the 'Bollywood mom', who'd always be with heroines at work, back in the day. True for several female stars, including you. What's it like being at work with your mom?
She was my reality check. Now you have several cameras shooting you, and a video-assist, where you can check the shots. My mom was my video-assist in those days. After the shot, I'd look at her behind the camera, for an okay.

Not the director?
If the director said OK, and she'd go [expresses poor take], I'd be like, "One more!" [laughs]. I'm sure it wasn't easy on her. We didn't have vans. We could be shooting on the road; she'd just take a chair, and sit there. She really made sacrifices; she was just 40 at the time.

Were you living her dream in some way?
I still am. This is the most beautiful life. It's been a rocky journey, a great roller-coaster ride. My manager is sitting on my head, going, "You need to do a film!" I don't have the time. So yeah, I will just take it as it comes.

Also Read: Now, A Baahubali Web Series On Sivagami's Life

(Transcribed by Sonil Dedhia, Sonia Lulla, Mohar Basu)

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