Actor Shilpa Shirodkar is making waves on social media ever since she appeared in Bigg Boss 18 last year. The '90s actress, who quit her career to settle down abroad with her banker husband Apresh Ranjit, is gearing up for a second innings on the big screen with Jatadhara.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Shilpa Shirodkar walked down the memory lane and spoke about her close association with her first co-star Mithun Chakraborty as she fondly calls him "Dada".
"Dada Came To My London Home And Had A Dinner With My Family"
When we ask if Shilpa Shirodkar is still in touch with her Bhrashtachar co-star Mithun Chakraborty, she says, "I am not in touch with him. I have immense love and respect for Dada. That will last forever. I have a one very beautiful memory of him. I had just got married and moved to London. Dada came to London for a shoot. He called me and said, "Mere ko tera ghar dekhna hai (I want to see your house)."
"It was 11'o clock in the night. He came home and had dinner with me and my family. That's one of the most beautiful memories I have of him. He was so loving, so caring... He was constantly checking in on me. My daughter was very young then. Probably a few months old. Dada was asking me so many things - if I feel alone, what I do the whole day, and how I manage everything. Very few people actually do this."
Shilpa Shirodkar started her career with Mithun Chakraborty in Bhrashtachar (1989), and went on to feature in films such as Paap Ki Kamaee (1990), Trinetra (1990), Swarg Yahan Narak Yahan (1991), and Jeevan Ki Shatranj (1993) with him.
It was Mithun Chakraborty who recommended Shilpa Shirodkar's name to director Ramesh Sippy for her debut film Bhrashtachar.
"I have said it very loud and clear to everybody that I am in the industry because Dada recommended my name to Ramesh ji for Bhrashtachar. Before that, I was rejected from two big films. Dada made a call to Rameshji and said, 'Ek nayi ladki hai, isko kaam chahiye (There's a new girl who needs work)' Had he not done it then, I wouldn't be here now. I proudly say that I owe my career to Dada," she tells us.
Working With Anil Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan
Apart from Mithun Chakraborty, Shilpa Shirodkar has also worked with Amitabh Bachchan in Hum (1991) and Khuda Gawah (1992), Jackie Shroff in Dil Hi Toh Hai (1992), and Anil Kapoor in Kishen Kanhaiya (1989).
Out of these four names, who was the toughest co-star to work with? She says, "All of them made it easy. They had no airs about who they were and I was a newcomer. They treated me with a lot of love and respect.
"They were open to teaching me. I think, that's what made the whole scenario so beautiful. I have many pleasant memories. When I see a song or watch a film now, I have pretty memories of that time. Even after so many years, nothing seems to have faded away."
About Shilpa Shirodkar's Upcoming Work
Shilpa Shirodkar has two important projects lined-up. She will be seen in the pan-Indian film Jatadhara with Sonakshi Sinha and Sudheer Babu Posani in the lead. She is also shooting for the OTT project Shankar: The Revolutionary Man.
Talking about the projects she tells us, "Both projects are very different from each other. In Jatadhara, I play Shobha. It shows how far a woman can go for the greed of money and what happens to her in the process.
"In Shankar: The Revolutionary Man, I play the mother of Adi Shankaracharya, Aarambha, who plays a pivotal role in his life. It's a period drama."
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