Diva With A Difference, Shilpa Shetty Never Let Bollywood Alone Define Her Success

Being a Bollywood actor is no mean task. Behind the glitz and glamour there is a lot of blood and sweat that goes into the making of stars and superstars. And even after all the hard work and going through the grind, the future of all the stars changes almost every Friday.

Stardom in is mostly measured by the box-office success of their previous in the dynamic world of Bollywood and only very rarely, people in Bollywood have managed to break out of the circle of the hit and flops and create an identity so unique that it can thrive on its own without box-office’s stamp of approval.

One such unique personality is Shilpa Shetty. Starting her career in Bollywood with the superhit Baazigaar where she played a supporting role, Shilpa’s Bollywood career has been somewhat of a mixed bag with many major hits and some flops, but that has never reduced her star status even by one bit.

Even during her heydays in Bollywood Shilpa was known for breaking norms. Whether it was in terms of accepting her relationship with Akshay Kumar when other Bollywood heroines preferred to hide behind the ‘just friends’ adage, or in terms of fashionista image.

She can rightly be credited for making fitness and healthy lifestyle stylish with her endeavors her yoga video was a much bigger hit than many of the Bollywood films of some of the most successful actresses of Bollywood.

Not just that, she has used her star status to further multiple noble causes that involve women empowerment, animal welfare, and AIDS awareness. She also actively participates in social events and inspires her million fans to do the same and at the same time, these appearances add to her image as a sensitive star.

Talking about breaking norms, she was the picture of class and dignity even when faced with racist abuse in the Big Brother reality show where she was the first ever Indian contestant to participate in the show. Even under trying circumstances her grace and patience earned her even more fans and later on she even found it in herself to let bygones be bygones and kiss and makeup with the ones who hurled abuses at her. An act like this is somewhat rare for a star of her stature and if anything this made Shilpa more popular than ever even in the international circuits.

While most yesteryear actresses rely on social events and page 3 parties to be relevant, Shilpa along with her businessman husband Raj Kundra has managed to raise an empire of super successful businesses like an IPL Team, cookery show to name a few. On the entertainment circuit she has added glamour and value to many reality shows as a judge and is now slowly warming up to film production and has already produced Dishkiyaoon, which unfortunately bombed at the box office.

Leagues away from those who came to Bollywood, attained stardom and then returned to oblivion when box-offioce was unkind to them, Shilpa has managed to build a brand out of herself that screams business acumen, glamour and above all empowerment.