Shilpa Shetty reveals she refused Hollywood project years back
During her 14 year-long sabbatical from Hindi films, actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra says she was approached to star in a major Hollywood project, which she turned down because she was unwilling to change gears "so drastically." Shilpa's last full-fledged Bollywood films were Life in a Metro with filmmaker Anurag Basu and the Dharmendra-starrer Apne, both in 2007.
I was constantly being offered really good roles, says Shilpa
In the same year, she also emerged as the winner of the British reality TV series Celebrity Big Brother season five, which made her a global figure. Though her Hindi film appearances became few and far between - with cameos in films like Om Shanti Om and Dostana - the actor said she kept getting "really good parts," including an offer from Hollywood.
Settling in US was not my cup of tea: Shilpa
Shilpa, who has been more active on television as a judge on dance reality shows like Nach Baliye and Super Dancer, said refusing the project from Los Angeles wasn't a particularly hard decision as settling down in the US was not her "cup of tea."
Content with working in Bollywood for now: Shilpa
"My son was extremely upset with me because I was offered some major stuff even in Hollywood, but I said no to it," she said. Though Shilpa views it as a "great opportunity lost," she is content working in the Hindi film industry for now and would switch to the other side if she gets an opportunity after her kids reach a certain age.
Maybe once my kids are 15, I would consider: Shilpa
"I'm clear about what I want. It's a great opportunity lost, but I'm happy with whatever I have. I'd be so unhappy to leave my family and shift gears drastically," Shilpa said. "It's too much to give and I don't think I was ready for that. Maybe once my kids are 15, then I would (consider) if I still look this way!" she added.
I wanted to focus on my personal life: Shilpa
Shilpa said it was a conscious decision to cut down on work. "I had reached a saturation point. After Life in a Metro and Apne, people started offering me the same kind of roles. They were not really interesting and I stayed away and took that sabbatical," she said. What also pushed her toward taking a break was her personal life, especially her children.
Shilpa will soon be seen in comedy flick 'Hungama 2'
Shilpa is set to return to the silver screen with her latest comedy feature, Hungama 2. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film is scheduled to be released on Disney+ Hotstar on July 23. Hungama 2 also stars Paresh Rawal, Meezaan, and Pranitha Subhash.
