No matter how many films this slim, sexy and sultry beauty has been a part of, Shilpa Shetty will always be remembered as the winner of Celebrity Big Brother, at least in the UK. Seconds after being crowned, her ‘Life in a Metro' changed for good.
From the lavish red carpet premiere of her film in the UK to her perfume launch, she is now an international figure. Last seen with her boyfriend Raj Kundra at the Zee Cine Awards, held in the UK, she is all set to return with The Unforgettable Tour on August 24 at the O2 Arena, to do what she does best—dancing.
In an exclusive interview, Shilpa talks about the London leg of the tour, why she thinks no one can match Big B's dance moves, her Big Brother days, how she maintains her perfect body, her newly formed production company and much more.
We will be seeing you live at the O2 Arena on August 24. What's going through your mind?
Well, a whole lot of excitement—it’s also an opportunity to connect with the UK audience who has given me so much love. It's now my time to reciprocate that love and show them this is what I do for a living.
You're a guest performer in the London leg of the tour. Don't you feel left out because you are not going to be with The Unforgettable Tour in Toronto, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and New York?
Not really because I have so much work on hand. Yes, Wizcraft did ask me to be a part of the rest of the tour, but I couldn't make that time. I am committed to finishing The Man, which is my next release with Sunny Deol, who is producing and directing it. So I decided I to take out a couple of days and fit in just the O2 Arena.
You are all wearing red to promote the tour. The colour symbolises power, but what power will we see in your performances?
Dancing, I think, has always been my USP. Whether people watch my films or not, I don't know, but they definitely watch my dancing [laughs]. This is definitely going to be a performance to watch out for because Shiamak Davar and I are getting back together again. Whenever he choreographs something for me, he always makes it really special. The last time he did something for me was at the IIFA Yorkshire in the UK last year. It was pretty unforgettable. And this one will be a few notches higher.
How is rehearsing for the tour different from what you do while shooting?
There isn't much of a big difference. Just that when we perform on stage, most of the numbers are re-mixed. So they are a little faster. Also, I may not be performing on my numbers. It may be a Punjabi number that is very popular in the UK. So there is a mix of everything. Of course, we only get one chance to give it our best on the stage, whereas we can go on and on until we get it perfect while filming a song for a film.
We've seen you shake a leg with Amitabh Bachchan in a forgetful film titled Lal Badshah. What's so special about a 65-year-old man dancing with a woman half his age?
[Laughs] I think when it comes to Amitji, nobody considers his age. He is so charismatic and he has such power over his audience that they don't care about his age. I definitely don't. I have tremendous respect for him. He is a stalwart in Hindi cinema and just to get this opportunity to share the stage with him is a huge honour. We actors are meant to entertain the audience, so no one thinks of age as a primary concern.
The word 'figure' is synonymous with you, Shilpa. You are the fittest actress around. How do you maintain your body? And have you ‘figured’ out the sort of reception you will get at the O2 Arena?
Thank you very much for the compliment. Well, I do work out but I also eat a lot, contrary to what people think. I do weight training and Yoga on a regular basis and that's what keeps me fit. And to answer your second question, I don't know what kind of reaction I'm going to get at the O2 Arena. I'm quite looking forward to it. I think it's going to be very good.
As London is the last city on the Unforgettable Tour schedule, I'm sure you'll be a bit more relaxed. Any plans after the show?
Shopping [laughs].
Where at?
I shop anywhere in London. I just love London because it's a great destination to shop. Anywhere from Oxford Street to Carnaby Street—I really enjoy it.
The only two celebrities you've worked with from the Tour are the two Bachchans—Abhishek and Amitabh. What was it like working with Riteish Deshmukh, Preity Zinta and Aishwarya Rai?
All of them come from the same fraternity, so we know each other pretty well. It's not like we are alien to each other. So it's just going to be great fun performing with them for the first time on stage. It goes beyond becoming a job because this is one of those shows that is like a picnic. I'm sure we are going to have a blast.
We all know that when it comes to choreography, Shiamak Davar is the king. Any unforgettable moments from your rehearsals so far?
Well, I haven't started rehearsing because I am shooting for Sunny Deol’s home production titled The Man. Please don't tell anybody. I am going to start rehearsals in a couple of days. In fact, I am going to Goa and have told them to send me an assistant who can teach me the steps.
Is it true to say that because you won Celebrity Big Brother, you are more attached to the UK?
I definitely got more attached to the UK after Celebrity Big Brother. It's not wrong when people say that. I have travelled to different parts of the world, but the warmth I receive in the U.K is just something else. I am who I am in the UK because of the people; they wanted me to win the show. I appreciate that. There are very few actors who go to different countries and are recognised there. It's not only the Indians who recognise me in the UK. It's the natives and the mainstream people do, too.
Who designed your outfits for The Unforgettable Tour?
Manish Malhotra is designing my costumes. I am really excited. He is a fabulous designer. We are in the process of designing them because there is a certain look that we have to maintain. It's an amalgam of both our thoughts and ideas. Manish is someone whose sensibilities I trust. If he thinks that a certain colour will look better on me and if I am not convinced, I will still trust him enough to wear it. In short, it's a good working relationship.
What else is keeping you busy in life?
Well, I am filming for The Man right now and I have just finished shooting a song for Karan Johar's next film Dostana. I will start my home production in November under S2 Global Productions. I am busy with that, too. We are currently in the process of scripting. We haven't yet zeroed on the name of the film.
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