One of the most sparkling face in Bollywood, Shilpa Shetty is a polyglot actress who has worked in Tamil, Telegu and Kannada cinema.

Age and Height

Shilpa Shetty was born on 8th June 1975 and is 43 years old as on 2018. She stands 5 feet 7 inches tall.

Early Life

Shilpa Shetty hails from a Tuluva Bunt family, in Mangalore. Her father is Surendra and her mother is Sunanda, who worked with the pharmaceutical industry. Shetty is the alumnus St. Anthony Girls' High School in Mumbai and joined Podar College in Matunga. A trained Bharatnatyam dancer, Shilpa started off as a model in television commercials before venturing into the Bollywood industry.

Marriage/Relationships

Shetty’s rendezvous with her co-star Akshay Kumar was a well-established fact in Bollywood. However, quite contrary to the speculations of engagement the couple parted ways in 2000. She married business tycoon Raj Kundra in 2009. The couple was blessed with a son whom they named Viaan.

Career

Shilpa Shetty made her official debut in a supporting role Abbas-Mustan's 1993 blockbuster Baazigar, alongside Kajol and Shahrukh Khan. Shetty received a nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut category.

1994 turned out to be a pivotal year for Shetty as she appeared in lead roles in three films. Her first release of that year was the action movie Aag, in which she essayed her maiden leading role. Co-starring Govinda, the film saw Shetty portray Bijli. Aag brought positive critical reception for Shetty's performance. Shetty’s next role was in the action comedy Main Khiladi Tu Anadi where she starred in a dual role alongside Akshay Kumar, Raageshwari, Saif Ali Khan and Shakti Kapoor, which was a super-hit film. The success of Main Khiladi Tu Anari was a watershed moment in Shetty’s career as an actress. Her final film for the year was the romantic screenplay Aao Pyaar Karen opposite to Saif Ali Khan which performed poorly at the box office.

Shetty tried her hands in the South as well. She made her Tamil debut with 1996 released Mr. Romeo with Madhoo and Prabhu Deva. In 1997 Shetty was features in six movies among which the Telugu film Veedevadandi Babu and the action thriller Auzaar are worth mentioning. Her 1998 release Pardesi Babu, garnered her the Bollywood Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Again, two years later she grabbed the limelight delivering a super hit, Dhadkan. Since then, her career did not see any downward turn. In the year 2002, she appeared in several releases and films such as Hathyar and Rishtey gave an enduring appeal to her stature as a fine actress. In Rishtey she grabbed the limelight from the already established stars Karishma Kapoor and Anil Kapoor. Her role in 'Phir Milenge' brought her much critical acclaim where she made a bold portrayal of an ambitious young lady who contracts HIV from unprotected sexual liaison and suffers social exclusion as a result. Shetty’s performance in Life In A ... Metro was notable expressly for that subtle grace of her presence.

Awards

Shilpa Shetty is the recipient of numerous honours such as the Bollywood Movie Award for her performance in 1998 film Pardesi Babu. She won the Giant International Award in 2000 for her formidable presence in Phir Milenge. Also worth mentioning is her 2004 win of the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Female for Life in a... Metro. 

Controversies

Shetty was the target of racist slurs of her housemates Danielle Llyod, Jade Goody and Jo O’Meara during the Big Boss Season 5. At another event, Hollywood star Richard Gere publicly kissed Shetty on stage which drew a lot of flak from the conservative Indian onlookers.

Favourites

Shilpa's favourite actors are Tom Cruise and Jackie Chan. She has a fetish for leopard and tiger prints.

Trivia

Shetty is well known for her enthusiasm for yoga and she maintains a strict fitness regime. She is a black belt in karate.