Shilpa: Miss Bollywood is a cut above - Nov 23 2007
Shilpa Shetty dazzled fans when she stepped out in London to promote her new musical extravaganza, Miss Bollywood.

The Indian beauty donned a glittering pink and silver Bollywood-inspired costume - complete with a crystal-encrusted headdress - for the event at London's Courthouse Kempinski Hotel.

Set against the backdrop of London as it prepares for the 2012 Olympics, Miss Bollywood combines traditional Indian music with dance.

Shilpa said of the show: "Miss Bollywood is meant to be light, feel good, fun, for all to enjoy - a combination of Bollywood musical and pantomime, and the response has been phenomenal, wherever we have taken it."

She added: "I am so glad to have been given this platform to showcase Bollywood in the right way. Miss Bollywood is, by nature, a dance-ical. It is a cut above the rest, and I'm very proud to be associated with a project like this. It has been a real learning curve for me.

"After Big Brother, mainstream audiences got to know me, so it has been great to now take Bollywood to the mainstream, in this way, and to give it that platform."

Miss Bollywood completes its tour of Europe on December 12 at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Fan accused over Shilpa number - Nov 6 2007
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has been swamped with hundreds of calls after a fan apparently sent out a mass email with her mobile number, her publicist said.

The film star has filed a complaint, asking Indian police to trace the fan, identified as Jeetu Sethi, who allegedly illegally distributed Shetty’s private mobile number, Dale Bhagwagar said.

Currently in Britain performing a musical called Miss Bollywood, the actress was "extremely perturbed" her number was known to hundreds of people, Bhagwagar said.

Shilpa became known in the UK for her controversial time in the Celebrity Big Brother House earlier in the year.

Fellow housemates Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara were accused of racist bullying in the media and sparked worldwide protests.

Shilpa won the contest after gaining 63% of the vote. She refused to hold grudges against any of the trio and denied they were being racist.


Shilpa’s musical set for UK - Oct 5 2007
Shilpa Shetty is set to make her stage debut in the UK next month when she tours with her new musical Miss Bollywood.

The glamorous Celebrity Big Brother winner will lead a company of more than 40 leading Bollywood dancers when she takes to the stage in the musical extravaganza from November 3.

She said: "Miss Bollywood will appeal not only to fans of Bollywood films and their super-catchy hit songs but also to the mainstream audiences for high energy dance or musical theatre."

The actress, 32, said the production had been a "labour of love", but added: "Seeing its fruition, from the initial concept into a tangible realisation has been a dream come true."

Miss Bollywood is set against the backdrop of London preparing for the 2012 Olympics and follows Maya (Shilpa) - a classically trained choreographer who leaves India to set up a dance academy in a soon to be demolished east London building.

But while setting up the academy, she has to cope with the unwanted attentions of a famous choreographer and a jealous diva.

With dance routines choreographed by Ganesh Hegde, who has previously worked with Michael Jackson, Shilpa is set to recreate some of the Bollywood film industry’s greatest hits over the past 40 years.

Miss Bollywood opens November 3 at Manchester’s Opera House with the finale taking place on December 12 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.