# Shilpa Shetty (शिल्पा शेट्टी कुंद्रा)
**Shilpa Shetty** (शिल्पा शेट्टी कुंद्रा; born 1975) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi films, known since her 1993 debut in *Baazigar*, for winning the British reality series *Celebrity Big Brother 5* in 2007, and for a later career built around television judging, fitness and wellness ventures. She has appeared in nearly sixty Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films and has received four nominations at the [Filmfare Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-awards)[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/). She is also known as Shilpa Shetty Kundra[2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975, Mangalore (Mangaluru), Karnataka; birth name Ashwini Shetty per India Today and The Indian Express, while IMDb records it as Shilpa Shetty[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty) • [2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0792908/bio/) |
| Film debut | Supporting role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the 1993 thriller *Baazigar*; an intended 1992 debut, *Gaata Rahe Mera Dil*, was never released[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty) • [5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/May/17/it-has-been-a-roller-coaster-ride-shilpa-shetty-kundra-on-30-years-in-films-2454675.html) |
| Career scale | Nearly sixty films across four industries; four Filmfare nominations[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/) |
| Breakthrough role | *Dhadkan* (2000), which she credits with changing how the industry viewed her acting[6](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/shilpa-shetty-on-being-typecast-raj-kundras-support-and-working-after-marriage-indian-police-force-rohit-shetty-2492965-2024-01-24) |
| International profile | Winner of *Celebrity Big Brother 5* in Britain, January 2007; host of *Bigg Boss 2* (2008)[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty) • [1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/) |
| Business ventures | Chairman of Best Deal TV and of the IOSIS spa chain (seventeen centers); part-owner of Rajasthan Royals, 2009–2015[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/) • [2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/) |
| Recent screen work | *Hungama 2* (2021) and the Rohit Shetty series *Indian Police Force* (2024) as Tara Shetty on Prime Video[2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/) • [6](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/shilpa-shetty-on-being-typecast-raj-kundras-support-and-working-after-marriage-indian-police-force-rohit-shetty-2492965-2024-01-24) |
## Early life and entry into film
Shetty was born in 1975 as Ashwini Shetty, to Sunanda and Surendra Shetty, manufacturers of tamper-proof water caps for the pharmaceutical industry, and studied at St. Anthony's Girls High School in Chembur, Mumbai[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty). Her birth name is reported differently across sources: India Today and [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) give Ashwini Shetty[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty) • [2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/), while IMDb's biography records it as Shilpa Shetty[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0792908/bio/).
She began working as a model with a Limca television commercial after her Class 10 exams in 1991. Her first film, the romantic drama *Gaata Rahe Mera Dil*, was set for release in 1992 but was never released, so her screen debut came in a supporting role in *Baazigar* (1993), opposite [Shah Rukh Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/shah-rukh-khan)[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty) • [5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/May/17/it-has-been-a-roller-coaster-ride-shilpa-shetty-kundra-on-30-years-in-films-2454675.html).
## Film career, 1990s–2000s
*Baazigar* brought her Filmfare nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Lux New Face of the Year[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty). Her 1994 film *Main Khiladi Tu Anari*, co-starring [Akshay Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/akshay-kumar) and [Saif Ali Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/saif-ali-khan), is described as a hit[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0792908/bio/). She moved into [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema) in 1996 with *Mr. Romeo*, alongside Prabhu Deva and Madhoo[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty). For *Pardesi Babu* (1998) she received critical acclaim and won the Bollywood Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty).
**Dhadkan as a turning point.** *Dhadkan* (2000) established her as a lead actress and earned several Best Actress nominations[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty). In a January 2024 interview she said she had been typecast in the first seven or eight years of her career, and that *Dhadkan* changed how people in the industry viewed her acting, crediting its director [Dharmesh Darshan](https://www.edgepedia.org/dharmesh-darshan) with taking her out of the glamorous mold[6](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/shilpa-shetty-on-being-typecast-raj-kundras-support-and-working-after-marriage-indian-police-force-rohit-shetty-2492965-2024-01-24).
In *Phir Milenge* (2004) she portrayed an AIDS patient, a performance that earned her a Filmfare Best Actress nomination[2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/). She cites *Phir Milenge*, *A Life In A Metro*, *Dus* and *Rishtey* as post-*Dhadkan* milestones that let her play a range of characters[6](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/shilpa-shetty-on-being-typecast-raj-kundras-support-and-working-after-marriage-indian-police-force-rohit-shetty-2492965-2024-01-24). She appeared in Anil Sharma's *Apne* (2007); she then appeared in special roles in *Dostana* (2008) and *Dishkiyaoon* (2014), which she co-produced[5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/May/17/it-has-been-a-roller-coaster-ride-shilpa-shetty-kundra-on-30-years-in-films-2454675.html).
## Celebrity Big Brother and international profile
In January 2007 Shetty was a contestant and the winner of the British reality series *Celebrity Big Brother 5*[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty). Her participation brought international attention, including an instance of racism she faced on the show[2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/). The following year she hosted the second season of the Indian adaptation, *Bigg Boss 2*[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/).
## Television and judging work
Her reality-television record spans hosting and judging: she judged the first season of *Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa* (2006) and seasons 5 and 6 of *Nach Baliye*, hosted *Bigg Boss 2* in 2008[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/), and during her break from films judged the talent shows *Super Dancer* and *India's Got Talent 9*[5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/May/17/it-has-been-a-roller-coaster-ride-shilpa-shetty-kundra-on-30-years-in-films-2454675.html).
## Business ventures and wellness brand
Shetty's entrepreneurship has run across retail, beauty, sport and fitness. In 2009 she became a part owner of the [Indian Premier League](https://www.edgepedia.org/indian-premier-league) franchise [Rajasthan Royals](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajasthan-royals) along with her husband [Raj Kundra](https://www.edgepedia.org/raj-kundra), holding the stake from 2009 to 2015[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty) • [2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/). She has been Chairman of Best Deal TV, described as India's first celebrity home shopping channel, and of IOSIS spa and salons, which have seventeen centers across India[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/). She turned film producer with the 2014 action film *Dishkiyaaoon* and designed a saree line under the 'SSK' brand[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/).
Her wellness brand rests on yoga. She produced a yoga DVD and has been described as among the first actors making yoga 'cool'; her debut book was co-authored with nutritionist Luke Coutinho[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/). She launched a fitness yoga DVD in 2015[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty) and offers fitness and yoga lessons through a dedicated app[7](https://www.femina.in/celebs/indian/a-birthday-tribute-to-bollywood-actor-shilpa-shetty-268088.html). Her official YouTube channel, self-described as that of a Bollywood actress and yoga enthusiast, had 3.78 million subscribers and 759 videos as of retrieval[8](https://www.youtube.com/@theshilpashettykundra).
## Personal life
She married Raj Kundra in 2009; her sister is the actress [Shamita Shetty](https://www.edgepedia.org/shamita-shetty); and her child is Viaan Raj Kundra[2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/).
## Public health and civic causes
Shetty has been recognized for her contributions to the [Swachh Bharat Mission](https://www.edgepedia.org/swachh-bharat-mission), receiving the Champions of Change Award, and has been associated with the animal-rights organization PETA and with the Fit India Movement[2](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/).
## By the numbers
The scale of her career can be read in a few figures: nearly sixty films across Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and [Kannada cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/kannada-cinema)[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/); four Filmfare nominations[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/); seventeen IOSIS spa and salon centers[1](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/); 3.78 million YouTube subscribers and 759 videos on her official channel[8](https://www.youtube.com/@theshilpashettykundra); and a 14-year gap between her last theatrical release of the 2000s, *Apne* (2007), and her theatrical comeback[5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/May/17/it-has-been-a-roller-coaster-ride-shilpa-shetty-kundra-on-30-years-in-films-2454675.html).
## What has changed since 2023
Shetty completed three decades in cinema in 2023, a journey she described in May 2022 as a roller coaster[5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/May/17/it-has-been-a-roller-coaster-ride-shilpa-shetty-kundra-on-30-years-in-films-2454675.html). Her screen output has shifted toward streaming and ensemble work. *Hungama 2* was released on an OTT platform in 2021, and she credited *Nikamma* director [Sabbir Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/sabbir-khan) with ending her 14-year-long sabbatical from theatrical releases[5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/May/17/it-has-been-a-roller-coaster-ride-shilpa-shetty-kundra-on-30-years-in-films-2454675.html). In January 2024 she appeared as Tara Shetty in *Indian Police Force*, a series helmed by [Rohit Shetty](https://www.edgepedia.org/rohit-shetty) and streaming on Prime Video alongside Sidharth Malhotra, Vivek Oberoi, Sharad Kelkar, and Nikitin Dheer; she performed her own action stunts and injured herself during filming[6](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/shilpa-shetty-on-being-typecast-raj-kundras-support-and-working-after-marriage-indian-police-force-rohit-shetty-2492965-2024-01-24). In the same interview she described taking a conscious seven-year sabbatical from films after her child, working in television instead[6](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/shilpa-shetty-on-being-typecast-raj-kundras-support-and-working-after-marriage-indian-police-force-rohit-shetty-2492965-2024-01-24).
Two disagreements in the record are worth stating plainly. On the comeback: India Today frames her return to movies after 14 years as *Hungama 2* (2021), released on an OTT platform[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty), while The New Indian Express reports that she credited *Nikamma* director Sabbir Khan with ending her 14-year sabbatical from theatrical releases specifically[5](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/May/17/it-has-been-a-roller-coaster-ride-shilpa-shetty-kundra-on-30-years-in-films-2454675.html); the two accounts measure different things, any film versus theatrical film. On the sabbatical's length: she herself describes a conscious seven-year break after her child[6](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/shilpa-shetty-on-being-typecast-raj-kundras-support-and-working-after-marriage-indian-police-force-rohit-shetty-2492965-2024-01-24), while press accounts describe a 14-year gap before her film comeback[3](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty).
## References
1. [Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Penguin Random House India author page](https://www.penguin.co.in/book_author/shilpa-shetty-kundra/)
2. [Shilpa Shetty Photos, Videos, Latest News, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/about/shilpa-shetty/)
3. [Shilpa Shetty Latest News, Top Stories, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/topic/shilpa-shetty)
4. [Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0792908/bio/)
5. [It has been a roller coaster ride: Shilpa Shetty Kundra on 30 years in films, The New Indian Express (17 May 2022)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/May/17/it-has-been-a-roller-coaster-ride-shilpa-shetty-kundra-on-30-years-in-films-2454675.html)
6. [Shilpa Shetty on being typecast, Raj Kundra's support and working after marriage, India Today (24 January 2024)](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/shilpa-shetty-on-being-typecast-raj-kundras-support-and-working-after-marriage-indian-police-force-rohit-shetty-2492965-2024-01-24)
7. [A Birthday Tribute To Bollywood Actor Shilpa Shetty, Femina](https://www.femina.in/celebs/indian/a-birthday-tribute-to-bollywood-actor-shilpa-shetty-268088.html)
8. [Shilpa Shetty Kundra, official YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@theshilpashettykundra)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Hindi film actors, 1990s–2000s › Surnames R to Z*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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