Actresses may insist that it is a male dominated world, yet one look at SHAMITA SHETTY and her glamorous sister, Shilpa, would make it apparent that women in Bollywood are having their cake and eating it too.
Shamita Shetty, who is just back from London, gushes about switching tracks and turning producer, and also tells NT why she is being choosy about her roles.
Ask her what is keeping her busy these days and Shamita says, “I’m concentrating on my career and reading some scripts.” And what are the projects that she has in hand? “Actually, I’ve none at the moment and that’s because I’m not willing to do just any role that comes my way.
Bollywood is going through a catharsis and possibilities are tremendous these days. Even married actresses are being offered roles that are tailor-made for them,” she says. Tell her that there are too many actresses around, making the competition much tougher and she says, “There is definitely an influx of heroines in the industry. And getting noticed in this melee is undoubtedly difficult. But then, I feel Bollywood is big enough for all of us and there is work for everybody, though luck and right contacts do matter a lot. Considering my sister Shilpa and I do not belong to any camp, I feel we have done well for ourselves,” says the actress who has worked in films like Mohabbatein, Saathiya, Fareb and Cash. Is that the reason why she has decided to produce her own film? “In a way maybe, but I am not acting in this film, I am only producing it. It is based on a very mature story that revolves around two women and Manish Jha would be directing it. We will make an announcement shortly,” says she.
There is also a buzz that Shamita was in London recently, trying to get a place for herself in the British reality TV show, Big Brother, because her sister Shilpa became a celebrity after winning that show. To this she says “I have no such plans. I can never do a show like that, as I will not be comfortable in such a setting. Nor can I stay away from my family for such a long time.” Agreeing to the fact that television has pepped up the stagnant careers of many actors, Shamita adds, “I too am being offered a lot of work on TV, but I’m not the one to follow trends. So, you will not be seeing me on the small screen.”
Now that big sis Shilpa has announced her plans to tie the knot in near future, is she also planning to follow in her footsteps? Shamita laughs throatily and says, “It is the media that is so busy marrying her off, she has not made any such announcement. As for me, there are no boyfriends or marriage plans on the anvil. As of now, I’m happily single.”
