Shilpa Shetty on Metros appeal

Thursday, May 10, 2007
In person, Shilpa Shetty is every bit as bubbly and energetic as she seems onscreen. She exudes a fun, confident energy and her ear-to-ear grin is contagious. She is friendly and approachable rather than distant and glamorous. She's the kind of woman that men want to hang out with because she's gorgeous with perfect, mile-long legs. She's the kind of person that women want to be friends with because she is courageous, bold and is great at dishing out the right advice.

In an interview, Shilpa talks to us about the expectations from her film Life in a Metro, whether she will kiss onscreen in her forthcoming films, her marriage and why after a decade in films, she still has the best body in business.

How does it feel to be back on screen after nearly a year?
It feels really good and better because life has changed. Luckily, people are expecting something out of me from Life in a Metro. I am happy to be back facing the camera after what I faced in Big Brother(UK).

Main Khiladi Tu Anari set the benchmark for you after the hit song, 'Chura Ke Dil Mera' and Dhadkan set your career chart climbing. What are your expectations from Life in a Metro?
I really hope that people in the West get to see a different India. Audiences here don't have a clue what India is all about because they are under the impression that India is not modern. We just want to show them that we Indians go through the same emotions as people all over the world go through. The only difference in the film is that because we have a lot of cultural attachment in India, there is a slight difference in the way we approach things.

In your 15-year career, doesn't the deliberate move to do fewer films hamper your future in the industry?
Not at all! At this stage it really doesn't. That's the best move I could have made. I rather do one or two films a year, which are the most, talked about. Metro came to me at the right time and I am extremely proud of it because I am not doing the run of the mill kind of movies. There has been a conscious effort into doing Indian cinema that justifies me, whether it is Dus, Phir Milenge, Rishtey, Dhadkan, etc. They were all different films for me.

Irrfan and you are the senior most actors from the entire cast and highly experienced. How easy or difficult it is to work with new comers like Shiny Ahuja and Konkana Sen Sharma?
They are new but they are brilliant actors. What's really fabulous is the fact that Metro is a very well cast film. Every character is the right actor for that particular character. I couldn't have visualised my role to be played by somebody else and I could not have portrayed Kangana Ranauts or Konkana Sen Sharma's character in the film. It is quite easy to work with new talents because they know what they are doing. We do give our inputs where necessary but it's the job of my director and his word is final