It isn’t often that one gets an audience with an actor of her calibre who is ready to revisit her journey and have an open and honest conversation. In this interview with The Pioneer’s Shikha Duggal, actress and graceful mother Shilpa Shetty shares and discusses some very interesting tidbits from her journey and more.
She doesn’t really need an introduction. SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA is a name that brings an instant smile to our faces — her body of work boasts genres and titles that showcase her versatility. From a girl involved in a love triangle between two men in the film GAATA RAHE MERA DIL to wearing a cool shade in Nikamma as an RTO officer, she has done it all. It isn’t often that one gets an audience with an actor of her calibre who is ready to revisit her journey and have an open and honest conversation. In this interview, she shares and discusses some very interesting tidbits from her journey and more.
While on a call with this graceful lady, we realised how she cannot afford to let someone else decide her happy moments. After a backbreaking day with back-to-back interviews for her upcoming slice of life film SUKHEE, Shilpa still vocalises exclusively to us, “Everyone knows that I am a nineties actor — so there are very few roles of my life where I can let out real dialogues from my life, and Sukhee is a rare gem like that. My character is going to resonate with so many women out there because it’s a living reality, but they are still not to be bracketed under “oh poor thing”.
No! There are happy homemakers too, because we are conditioned to be one. But there is no self-care, and that’s saddening to see. Ladies have to take over in every house that we know! So as we speak, a lot of discussions were brought to the sets with a pinch of humor. So it’s not a sob story but will definitely compel you to think!”
Because we used the word backseat, she thinks it’s a great way to describe her character as well. Shilpa’s mother has worked all her life and never failed in her duties. Most importantly, as a mother! Looking at her, even Shilpa wants her children to appreciate what she does for them. We are so understanding and giving; our husbands should also coincide with the leading actress of the film. She continues, “I am a working woman, but if you see my Instagram handle, my first description of myself is that I am a mother. That will always be my first definition! I may be dabbling with different things, but if any of my kids call me up, I will drop everything! They are my priority. I am very middle-class in my thoughts like this.”
“We Shettys are a bunch of proud girls. You cannot become a Shetty. You are blessed if you are born into this beautiful lineage;” Shilpa Shetty felt this deeply. “I am a Shetty but married to a Punjabi and it has only added different shades to my personality. If I had done this character before getting married to Raj, I don’t think I would have been able to pull it off like this! South Indians are a little more reserved, but Punjabis are a certain way; they can break into bhangra at any given point in time. They are absolute foodies; I have one at home (she laughed out loud). I did my best to bring that “bedhadak” nature from the side I have been married into for so many years now.”
She recently visited Chembur, especially to see her school. She asserted that it’s so important for us to reconnect with our roots! She was reliving those memories. So in a similar context, she had one of the fondest scenes from Sukhee that still makes her burst into so much laughter. She narrates, “There was a scene shown when my character was keen on horse riding.
I, as Shilpa Shetty, was in front of a horse, but I was petrified to ride him. My horse’s name was King. I am an animal lover, so I was given instructions on befriending him. I took two cubes of sugar in my palm, and he bit me! Every time I would go in front of him, he would start kneighing. I thought to myself ‘Oh my god, King doesn’t like you, Shilpa’. Riding on to him was even worse. Everyone on the floor was rolling out of laughter at the stable looking at me.”
After 30 years in the business, she still has so much learning to do. Her director was apprehensive — she goes, “Do you mind attending workshops?” Now that’s the way today’s actors work! She didn’t take a second to say yes to her director. But frankly speaking, “I want to work much less. I don’t want to work so much!
I am a mother first; I know how it feels from the time I was an actress, and that was at 17 years old. My time was never mine! Our schedules are very erratic, and I don’t want both my children to suffer. I also do one television outing every year. That’s my only connection to household audiences! Next, I am a businesswoman. I have my own app now. I am only willing to do those films where my children can seek inspiration from their mumma, end of story. I don’t have the avarice for stardom in my life now. I would like to bring glory.”
