Shilpa Shirodkar is one of the contestants in the eighteenth edition of the controversial television show, Bigg Boss. She and Karan Veer Mehra are the only celebrities in Bigg Boss 18, who have worked in Bollywood at a prominent level. For the uninitiated, Shilpa has not only worked in the Hindi film industry, but has also featured in a Tamil and Telugu film. Apart from making a name for herself in the film industry, Shilpa also worked in the television industry for more than five years. She left acting almost a decade after marrying a UK-based banker.
However, Shilpa Shirodkar is motivated to resurrect her acting career by participating in the eighteenth edition of India's biggest reality television show, Bigg Boss. Today, we are going to take a deeper look into the personal and professional fronts of Shilpa Shirodkar's life, which is full of interesting anecdotes. From making her debut with legendary actor, Mithun Chakraborty to losing the Chaiyya Chaiyya song to Malaika Arora, we will uncover some of the lesser-known facts about Shilpa.
Shilpa Shirodkar was born on November 20, 1973, to her parents, Nitin Shirodkar and Vanita Shirodkar. She is the younger sister of famous Indian actress and Femina Miss India 1993 winner, Namrata Shirodkar. Not only this, Shilpa and Namrata are the granddaughters of the legendary Marathi theatre and television actress, Meenakshi Shirodkar. Right from an early age, Shilpa had a strong inclination towards acting, and she wanted to become an actress just like her grandmother and elder sister.
Shilpa Shirodkar's elder sister, Namrata Shirodkar is married to the iconic Telugu actor, Mahesh Babu, who is considered as one of South cinema's most celebrated actors. Namrata and Mahesh got married in 2005 and are blessed with two kids, Gautham and Sitara. Time and again, we have seen Mahesh Babu turning into his sister-in-law, Shilpa Shirodkar's biggest cheerleader. For instance, before entering the Bigg Boss house, Shilpa posted pictures of her didi, Namrata and jiju, Mahesh, revealing that they are 'proud of her' and extremely supportive.
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It was in 1989 when iconic filmmaker, Ramesh Sippy handed Shilpa Shirodkar her acting debut after he cast her in his film, Bhrashtachar. She was just 18 back then and played the character of a blind girl, and her performance instantly impressed the critics. Before signing her debut film, Shilpa lost two films, Souten Ki Beti and Boney Kapoor's then-titled Jungle, due to which she was labelled as a 'jinx' by the industry. At that time, Mithun Chakraborty came to her rescue as he requested Ramesh Sippy to consider her for Bhrashtachar. The film starred a series of iconic actors like Rekha, Anupam Kher, Raza Murad, and a special appearance by Rajinikanth.
In her second film, she was cast opposite Anil Kapoor in Kishen Kanhaiya, which paved the way for her steady run in the film industry. After Kishen Kanhaiya, Shilpa starred in several films featuring mega stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda, Sridevi, Suniel Shetty, Shah Rukh Khan, and many more. Some of Shilpa Shirodkar's famous films include Trinetra, Hum, Khuda Gawah, Aankhen, Pehchaan, Gopi Kishan, Bewafa Sanam, Mrityudand, Gaja Gamini, and many more.
For the uninitiated, Shilpa Shirodkar was the first choice for featuring as the lead dancer for the legendary song, Chaiyya Chaiyya. In an old interview with ETimes, Shilpa opened up about the same and revealed the reason why she lost Chaiyya Chaiyya to Malaika Arora. The actress shockingly shared that the makers of Dil se... thought she was 'too fat' for the song. Shilpa admitted that it was disheartening for her to accept the rejection due to her physique. However, she added that it's all part of her destiny. She shared it was her dream to work with Shah Rukh Khan, and it was fulfilled when they worked together in Gaja Gamini.
At the time, when Shilpa Shirodkar was working on a series of big-budget films, she decided to quit acting for her husband and kids. For the unversed, it was in July 2000, when Shilpa got married to a UK-based merchant banker named Apresh Ranjit. The actress moved to the UK after her marriage to Apresh, and it became difficult for her to get some work in the film industry. Hence, she decided to take a break from acting in order to focus on the upbringing of their daughter, Anoushka Ranjit. However, she made a comeback in 2013 with the television show, Ek Mutthi Aasmaan.
What are your thoughts on Shilpa Shirodkar's life journey so far? Can she resurrect her career with her participation in Bigg Boss 18? Let us know
Also Read: Mahesh Babu's Luxurious Lifestyle: From Swanky Cars, Palatial Abode To Vanity Van Worth Crores
