Shilpa Shetty: “Instagram Makes Me Look Cooler Than I Am”

Shilpa Shetty is a force to reckon with. It has been almost 13 years since she is on a self-imposed sabbatical, but her popularity among her fans still remains intact thanks to her work on television. The actress is now gearing up to make a comeback with filmmaker Sabbir Khan’s directorial Nikamma, also starring Abhimanyu Dassani and debutante Shirley Setia.

Talking about her long break from movies, Shilpa Shetty told a popular tabloid, "I have been a part of the industry and I continue to be a part of it some way or the other. When you miss the limelight, you feel like you are losing out on fame and people are forgetting you. I never missed it because I was still doing television.”

Shilpa Shetty was last seen on the big screen in the 2007 film Apne. Looking back at her Bollywood journey so far, she said, "Becoming an actor was luck by chance. I was 15 years old and went for an event where a guy saw me and asked to get myself clicked. Next day, the photos were distributed on a set of a show and that's when I started getting work.”

The actress continues to stay connected with her fans through social media like Instagram. "I sometimes feel that Instagram makes me look cooler than I am. I am not that cool. I love every aspect of life but on the other hand, I don't know how to do a split or to drive or swim. I am not hydrophobic. I love to go to beaches but that's only for Instagram."

Shetty’s comeback film Nikamma, which is currently being shot, is jointly produced by Sony Pictures International Productions and Sabbir Khan Films. It is scheduled for its theatrical release in the summer of 2020. The makers are yet to lock an official date though.