I refused major stuff in Hollywood: Shilpa
Mumbai: During her 14 year-long sabbaticals from Hindi films, Shilpa Shetty Kundra revealed that she was approached to star in a major Hollywood project, but she turned down because she was unwilling to change gears 'so drastically'.
Shilpa's last full-fledged Bollywood film was in 2007 with filmmaker Anurag Basu's 'Life in a Metro' and the Dharmendra-starrer 'Apne'. The same year, she also emerged as the winner of the British reality TV series 'Celebrity Big Brother' season five, which made her a global figure.
Though her Hindi film appearances became few and far between - with cameos in films like 'Om Shanti Om' and 'Dostana' - the actor said that she kept getting 'really good parts', including an offer from Hollywood.
Shilpa, who has been more active on television as a judge on dance reality shows like 'Nach Baliye' and presently 'Super Dancer' said, "My son was extremely upset with me because I was offered some major stuff even in Hollywood, but I said no to it. To just shift base from Mumbai and settle in Los Angeles is not my cup of tea."
"I'm clear about what I want. I love doing work here. It is a great opportunity lost, but I'm so happy with whatever I have. I would be so unhappy to just leave my family and shift gears so drastically. It is too much to give and I do not think I was ready for that. Maybe once my kids are 15, then I would consider if I still look this way," she added.
Shilpa is set to return to the silver screen with her latest comedy feature 'Hungama 2'. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film is scheduled to be released on 'Disney+ Hotstar' on July 23.
Having made her debut at the age of 17 with the 1993 Abbas-Mustan thriller 'Baazigar', the actor said it was a conscious decision to cut down on work.
"I had reached a saturation point, which happens to a lot of artists. After 'Life in a Metro' and 'Apne', people started offering me the same kind of roles. They were not interesting and I stayed away and took that sabbatical," she shared.
The actor admitted she was excited to start a new phase of her life in the late 2000s and had decided she will not work for some time when she has children.
"Soon after, I had Viaan. I had decided when I would have my first child, I would dedicate all my time to the baby. I was told the first seven years of a child are extremely important as
they are highly impressionable. So I made that time. My family was, is and will continue to be my priority," said Shilpa.
Speaking on balancing her film schedules and home life, she said, "That is why it has taken me 14 years to say yes to a film. My son is now nine. I feel he does not need me as much. My daughter does. But I'm thankful to be in a position to say yes to only those few things that I want to do and be in a position to balance my personal and professional life."
