Profile: Shilpa Shetty

By Monica Chadha
BBC News, Mumbai

Shilpa has not been having a good time of it in the Big Brother house

Shilpa Shetty is one of Bollywood's glamorous actresses who enjoys quite a fan base amongst Indian film viewers.

The 31-year-old does not have the kind of audience pull a top actress such as Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee or Preity Zinta possesses. But she certainly adds value to a high-profile star cast.

Shetty was first noticed in 1993 when she starred in a supporting actress role opposite actor Shah Rukh Khan in the hit film Baazigar (Player).

She then went on to play lead roles in hits such as Main Khiladi Tu Anari (Me Player, You Buffoon) and Dhadkan (Heartbeat).

Later, she got tremendous recognition for her portrayal of an HIV sufferer in the 2004 film Phir Milenge (Will Meet Again).

Inspired by Hollywood hit Philadelphia, it also won her nominations in several Indian film awards, such as the International Indian Film Academy Awards.

Her last hit was 2005's Dus (Ten), in which she starred with other top-notch actors such as Sanjay Dutt and Abhishek Bachchan.

She has judged various television competitions and has also starred in the BBC World Service Trust's campaign against Aids.

Last year, she received hundreds of marriage proposals on the e-mail address she made public to interact with her fans.

Shilpa has been making films since she was a teenager

"I really don't know when I will get married and to be honest, I haven't found the perfect man yet, " she told the BBC at the time.

She was romantically linked to actor Akshay Kumar in the past, but since then she has reportedly been single.

In 2000, Shetty successfully sued Stardust India magazine after it ran a piece about her relationship with Kumar. She took legal action as she thought it was damaging.

When it was revealed she would be taking part in Celebrity Big Brother, there was tremendous curiosity in India.

Not just because of the format of the programme and its reputation, but also for the huge amount of money she was paid for her appearance. In India, it is rumoured the actress will pocket $680,456 (£345,145).

Shetty stays in Mumbai with her parents and younger sister, Shamita, who is also a Bollywood actress.

Her mother, Sunanda Shetty, claims her daughter's trip to the UK to appear in Big Brother is the first time she has ever travelled anywhere without her.