Shilpa on Broadway! Article

Having conquered the global audience with her brave stint on Big Brother, Shilpa Shetty is all set to star in an Indian musical. The musical will be on the lines of Andrew Lloyd Webber-A R Rahman's Bollywood Dreams that changed the destiny of pop-Bollywood culture globally.

Shilpa reveals, "It's going to be in an Indian musical on the lines of Bollywood Dreams. Although it will be 'Bollywood' in spirit, it will also cater to Western sensibilities. It's a hugely ambitious musical, and I'm very excited. I always wanted to do something on the lines of Moulin Rouge or Chicago. This is my chance."

The musical will be produced by Farhat Hussein, who organises all the big Bollywood concerts in Britain. Shilpa adds, "Farhat has ambitious ideas for the musical. And if all goes well, it will be the biggest staged extravaganza ever featuring someone from the Mumbai film industry. My schedules are being worked out. I plan to stage it for three months in England, and maybe then take it down to the US and Australia. Bollywood is so 'in' right now. Post-Big Brother, this entire ethnic culture has created such an intrigue all over the world. And Bollywood Dreams did very well many years ago. The appetite for Bollywood in the West has only increased now."

Shilpa is fast acquiring the reputation of being a spokesperson for racial discrimination and other important global issues. Commenting on her new projects, Shilpa says, "Oh, there are numerous projects on the anvil, including a film in British and Indian film from a very reputed company. For me, whether it's Hollywood or British films, they've to fit into my scheme of morality. I want to make money on my own terms."

Shilpa was in India last week to attend the Liz Hurley-Arun Nayar marriage. She adds, "When I got back to London, I was horrified when a journalist asked me if Liz Hurley tried to hitch me up with Imran Khan. It's such a frivolous question. Just because Imran is Jemima's ex and Liz is Hugh's ex, does it mean we'll come together? Sounds weird, doesn't it?"

Shilpa will be travelling back from London three times in the next month to finish shooting for Anurag Basu's Metro. "I couldn't finish the film because there were too many combination scenes with Kangana, Shiney Ahuja and Konkona. I'm not responsible for the film's delay. I'm proud of Metro," she says.

Right now Shilpa is incredibly excited about the Bollywood musical. "After Big Brother I was constantly asked about which films and endorsements I was doing. But I was looking at expanding my horizon by going to another level. This musical gives me a chance to do something I always wanted to do," adds Shilpa.