The Hindu : Front Page : Shilpa gets blank stares on Big Brother show

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Saturday, Jan 06, 2007
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Shilpa gets blank stares on Big Brother show

Hasan Suroor

Shilpa Shetty

LONDON: What is it like for a Bollywood star, used to being mobbed by fans back home, to be asked, "so what do you do?"

Shilpa Shetty must have cringed but bravely smiled when she was met with blank "Shilpa who?" stares as she walked into the Big Brother House here on Thursday night to join a group of mostly B-list celebrities taking part in Channel 4's "Celebrity Big Brother," British television's most controversial reality show.

"I'm an actress. I'm from India," she introduced herself to co-inmates with whom she would be spending the next 25 days.

But the name didn't ring a bell even with Ken Russell, the only other film personality on the show.

"Have you been in movies for long?" he asked.

"Yes, 14 years," said Ms. Shetty.

"A child star?" persisted Mr. Russell.

"Since the age of 17," came the reply.

Mr. Russell wanted to know whether she did a movie recently.

"Yes, it is a Hindi movie."

"Is it a comedy, a musical?"

"It is a drama."

On the first night, Ms. Shetty, dressed in a red saree, looked lost among an all-white cast of have-been pop singers, a disgraced former Miss Britain and a tabloid journalist. As they sipped glass after glass of champagne and exchanged gossip, she was reduced to commenting on the furniture. "Oh, God they've got a treadmill," she exclaimed, apparently relieved that at least she wouldn't be missing the gym.

The Big Brother House has 37 cameras, which will pick up every movement of its inmates even when they are sleeping. Ms. Shetty had difficulty sleeping as Mr. Russell (fast asleep a few beds away) snored loudly. Looking irritated, she got up, left the room but was soon back having figured out how to muzzle the noise: surround your ears with a pillow. And it seemed to have worked.

According to media reports, Ms. Shetty is rumoured to have been paid £300,000 to appear on the show. "The only thing I really hope to keep is my self-respect and my dignity," she was reported as saying, alluding to the show's embarrassing reputation.

Mr. Russell, the only internationally recognised participant, has been criticised for having agreed to appear on a show that thrives on humiliating its guests. Writer Germaine Greer, who appeared in a previous episode, was so disgusted that she walked out midway.

Will Ms. Shetty be able to stay the course?

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