Karan
—  Commune and town  —
Karan Location in Mali
Coordinates: 12°7′58″N 8°31′35″W / 12.13278°N 8.52639°W / 12.13278; -8.52639Coordinates: 12°7′58″N 8°31′35″W / 12.13278°N 8.52639°W / 12.13278; -8.52639
Country	Mali
Region	Koulikoro Region
Cercle	Kangaba Cercle
Population (2009 census)[1]
• Total	6,874
Time zone	GMT (UTC+0)

Karan is a small town and urban commune in the Koulikoro Region of southwestern Mali. In the 2009 census the commune had a population of 6,874.

References[link]

v t e Communes and towns of the Koulikoro Region Capital:Koulikoro Banamba Cercle Banamba (Banamba) Ben Kadi (Samakele) Boron (Boron) Duguwolowula (Touba) Kiban (Kiban) Madina Sacko (Madina Sacko) Sebete (Sebete) Toubakoro (Toubakoro) 180px Dioila Cercle Banko (Banko) Benkadi (Kotoula) Binko (Tingole) Degnekoro (Degnekoro) Diebé (Diebé) Diédougou (Belekosoba) Diouman (Dioumanzana) Dolendougou (Dandougou) Guegneka (Fana) Jekafo (Jekafo) Kaladougou (Diolila) Kemekafo (Senou) Kerela (Kerela) Kilidougou (N'Tobougou) Massigui (Massigui) Nangola (Nangola) Niantjila (Niantjila) N'Dolondougou (Mena) N'Garadougou (N'Gara) N'Golobougou (N'Golobougou) Tenindougou (Falako) Wacoro (Wacoro) Zan Coulibaly (Marka Coungo) Kangaba Cercle Kangaba (Minidian Kangaba) Balan Bakama (Namakama) Benkadi Habaladougou (Kéniéba) Kaniogo (Kaniogo) Karan (Karan) Maramandougou (Figuira-Toma) Narena (Narena) Nouga (Keliegoue) Selefougou (Selefougou) Koulikoro Cercle Koulikoro (Koulikoro) Dinandougou (Kenekou) Doumba (Doumba) Koula (Koula) Meguetan (Gouni) Niamina (Niamina) Sirakorola (Sirakorola) Tienfala (Tienfala) Tougouni (Tougouni) Kolokani Cercle Kolokani (Kolokani) Didieni (Didieni) Guihoyo (Guihoyo) Massantola (Massantola) Nossombougou (Nossombougou) Nonkon (Nonkon) Ouolodo (Ouolodo) Sagabala (Sagabala) Sebecoro (Sebecoro) Tioribougou (Tioribougou) Kati Cercle Kati (Kati) Baguineda-Camp (Baguineda-Camp) Bankoumana (Bankoumana) Bossofala (Neguela) Bougoula (Bougoula) Daban (Daban) Diago (Diago) Dialakoroba (Dialakoroba) Dialakorodji (Dialakorodji) Diédougou (Torado) Dio-Gare (Dio-Gare) Dogodouman (Dogodouman) Dombila (Dombila) Doubabougou (Doubabougou) Faraba (Faraba) Kalabancoro (Kalabancoro) Kalifabougou (Kalifabougou) Kambila (Kambila) Kourouba (Kourouba) Mandé (Ouezzindougou) Moribabougou (Moribabougou) Mountougoula(Mountougoula) N'Gabacoro (N'Gabacoro-Droit) N'Gouraba (N'Gouraba) Niagadina (Niagadina) Nioumamakana (Nioumamakana) N'Tjiba (Faladie) Ouelessebougou (Ouelessebougou) Safo (Safo) Sanankoro Djitoumou (Sanankoro Djitoumou) Sanankoroba (Sanankoroba) Sangarebougou (Sarambougou) Siby (Siby) Sobra (Sandama) Tiakadougou-Dialakoro (Tiakadougou-Dialakoro) Tiele (Tiele) Yelekebougou (Yelekebougou) Nara Cercle Nara (Nara) Allahina (Allahina) Dabo (Boulal) Dilly (Dilly) Dogofry (Balle) Fallou (Fallou) Gueneibe (Gueneibe) Guire (Guire) Koronga (Koronga) Niamana (Mourdiah) Ouagadou (Goumbou)

Ranvir Singh
Singh reporting outside the house of Michael Shields in 2009
Born	1977 (age 34–35) Preston, Lancashire, England
Occupation	Presenter, Newsreader
Notable credit(s)	BBC North West Tonight (2005-2012) Daybreak (from September 2012)

Ranvir Singh (born in Preston, Lancashire) is an English news presenter and journalist. Currently on maternity leave, Singh is to join ITV programme Daybreak. Until May 2012 she was a presenter and reporter for the regional BBC news programme, BBC North West Tonight.^[1][2]

Early life[link]

Singh was born in 1977 in the town of Preston in Lancashire, in North West England, into a Sikh family. Educated at Kirkham Grammar School, an independent school in the town of Kirkham, Lancashire, she then graduated from the University of Lancaster, where she studied for a degree in English and Philosophy. She then gained a postgraduate qualification in journalism at the school of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Central Lancashire in Preston.

Career[link]

Singh joined BBC Radio Lancashire in 2002, initially on work experience before being given a six month contract. She then moved to BBC GMR, covering the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.^[1][3]

Singh joined the BBC North West Tonight team in 2005, as a journalist and bulletin presenter. Her first national presenting role came in April 2006 when she co-presented a live BBC Three play on Good Friday, Manchester Passion, which retold the last hours of Jesus Christ.

On 10 September 2007, Singh joined long serving presenter Gordon Burns as the main female co-anchor on BBC North West Tonight.^[1] Former BBC South Today sports editor Roger Johnson became Singh's co-anchor in October 2011 following Burns' departure.^[3] While working on North West Tonight, Singh was also a cover presenter for late night and weekend breakfast shows on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Singh left North West Tonight on 18th May 2012 to go on maternity leave. Ten days later it was announced, that she had left the programme permenantly to take a role on ITV's flagship morning programme Daybreak.^[4]

Personal life[link]

Singh is a Sikh and practises the religion. She was married in February 2012.

References[link]

External links[link]

• BBC News Profile

Anushka Sharma
Anushka Sharma at Women's Health inaugural issue launch
Born	(1988-05-01) 1 May 1988 (age 24)[1]
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Model, Actress
Years active	2008–present

Anushka Sharma (Hindi: अनुष्का शर्मा pronounced [əˈnʊʂkaː ˈʃərmaː]; born 1 May 1988)^[1] is an Indian actress and former model who appears in Hindi films. In 2008, she was signed by Aditya Chopra for a three-film contract with Yash Raj Films and made her screen debut in Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. She later received acclaim for her role as Shruti Kakkar in Band Baaja Baaraat (2010).^[2] Both films fetched her a Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare Awards ceremony.^[3]

Early life and background[link]

Sharma's father, Col. Ajay Kumar Sharma, is an army officer and her mother Ashima Sharma is a housewife. She has an elder brother named Karnesh,^[4] who was a state-level cricketer and now, is in the Merchant Navy. She studied in Army School and graduated with specialization in arts from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore.^[5] She later moved to Mumbai to further pursue her modelling career, where she currently resides.

Career[link]

Early Career & Debut (2007-2009)[link]

Sharma says she originally wished to make it big in the modeling world but had no strong aspirations for films.^[5] She began her modeling career at the Lakme Fashion Week as a model for Wendell Rodricks's Les Vamps Show and was picked to be Rodricks's finale model at the Spring Summer '07 Collection. Since then she has done campaigns for Silk & Shine, Whisper, Nathella Jewelry and Fiat Palio.

Her first acting role was in Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) opposite Shahrukh Khan. Her performance was appreciated with film critic Taran Adarsh stating, "Anushka looks the character and surprises you with a confident performance. It's no small achievement to share screen space with an actor of the caliber of SRK and Anushka manages it very well from start to end."^[6] The film received positive reviews and was declared a blockbuster, and had been concluded as the second-highest grossing film of all-time to that point by the end of the year.^[7]

Breakthrough & Initial Success (2010-present)[link]

Her second film, Badmaash Company, also under Yash Raj Films, was released on May 7, 2010. While Taran Adarsh added, "Anushka is a revelation. She looks stunning, her performance is livewire and the chemistry with Shahid is electrifying."^[8]

In 2010, Sharma completed her three-film contract with Yash Raj Films, starring in Band Baaja Baaraat, a romantic comedy directed by Maneesh Sharma and co-starring debutant Ranveer Singh.^[10] She played a middle-class Delhi-Punjabi girl who goes on to launch her own independent business of wedding planning and later falls for her partner. In preparation for the part, Sharma was required to master the dialect of a young Punjabi woman from Delhi. She cited it as the toughest part of her role, describing the way the lead characters in the film interact as "crude but cute", and calling for her to "talk fast, sometimes mix words and even omit words completely".^[11] Prior to its release, she referred to it as her "best film till date".^[12] Some pundits, however, had expressed doubts about the film's prospects to leave a mark, citing the middling response to Yash Raj Films' last few productions, the lack of a male star, and claiming that by then Sharma was an "almost-forgotten" actress.^[13]

Band Baaja Baaraat was released on December 10, 2010 to positive reviews and went on to become a sleeper hit. Box Office India website reported that the film grossed approximately  21.44 crore after five weeks, making it a moderate box office success.^[14] Sharma's performance was praised by critics, many of whom called it her best work up to that point.^[15] Taran Adarsh described her as "truly wonderful," noting that it is "the first time in her 3-film career, a film rests mainly on Anushka's shoulders, and she handles the responsibility so well."^[16] For her work in the film, Sharma received her second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and earned several awards and nominations at different award ceremonies.^[17]

Sharma's first venture outside the Yash Raj banner was Patiala House directed by Nikhil Advani and co-starring Akshay Kumar. Patiala House was released on February 11, 2011.^[18] Despite the film's lukewarm performance at the box office, Sharma received positive reviews. Nikhat Kazmi of The Times Of India wrote, "Anushka Sharma’s vivacity may have an after taste of her bubbling Band Baaja Baraat act but her passage from Janakpuri’s dhinchak girl to Southall’s siren is sweet and smooth. Watch out for the girl; she’s truly on a roll."^[19]

In December 2011, she re-united with her Band Baaja Baarat team of Ranveer Singh and Maneesh Sharma for Yashraj Films's Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. Despite negative media perception, the film was a moderate success at the box office.^[20][21]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmfare Awards[link]

Nominated

• 2009: Filmfare Best Actress Award; Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi^[23]
• 2011: Filmfare Best Actress Award; Band Baaja Baaraat^[24]

Star Screen Awards[link]

Nominated

• 2008: Star Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer - Female; Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
• 2011: Star Screen Award for Best Actress; Band Baaja Baaraat

IIFA Awards[link]

Winner

• 2011: IIFA Award for Best Actress; Band Baaja Baaraat^[25]

Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards[link]

Winner

• 2009: Best Debut (Female); Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi^[26]
• 2011: Best Actress in a Leading Role; Band Baaja Baaraat^[27]

Zee Cine Awards[link]

Nominated

• 2011: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor – Female; Band Baaja Baaraat^[28]
• 2012: Zee Cine Awards, International Icon Female

Other awards[link]

• 2011 - GQ Men of the Year Awards: Excellence Award^[29]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Anushka Sharma at the Internet Movie Database

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anushka Sharma

Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty at the 2007 IIFA Awards in Sheffield.
Born	Shilpa Shetty (1975-06-08) 8 June 1975 (age 37) Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1993–present
Spouse	Raj Kundra (2009–present)[1]
Website
www.shilpashettylive.com

Shilpa Shetty (born 8 June 1975)^[2] is an Indian film actress and model. Since making her debut in the film Baazigar (1993), she has appeared in nearly 40 Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, her first leading role being in the 1994 film Aag. Although she has been through years of decline during her career, Shetty has been willing to reinvent herself quite often. Her performances in Dhadkan (2000) and Rishtey (2002) were appreciated, while her portrayal of an AIDS patient in Phir Milenge (2004) won her many accolades. Her younger sister Shamita Shetty is also a Bollywood film actress.

After taking part in the British Celebrity Big Brother TV show in 2007, Shetty was crowned the winner with 63% of the final vote,^[3] after an international racism controversy involving her and fellow contestants Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd. This was followed by a re-establishment of her status in the film industry in 2007 when she appeared in two successive movies, Life in a... Metro and Apne, with her performance in the former drawing positive reviews.^[4]

Life[link]

Shilpa Shetty was born in a traditional family in Mangalore^[5] that hails from the Bunt community. She is the elder daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty, manufacturers of tamper-proof caps for the pharmaceutical industry,^[5] In Mumbai, she attended St. Anthony Girls' High School in Chembur, and later attended Podar College in Matunga. A trained Bharatanatyam dancer, she was also into sports and was the captain of the volleyball team in schools. She has a black belt in karate and is currently a dancesport expert and enthusiast.^[6] Shetty's younger sister Shamita Shetty is also a Bollywood actress. They worked together once in the film Fareb (2005).

^[7] Shetty is 5 ft. 10 inches tall. It was revealed on 29 March 2009 that Shilpa had purchased a house on St. George's Hill in Weybridge, Surrey, England with her husband Raj Kundra.^[1] She gave birth to a baby boy on May 21, 2012.^[8]

Acting career[link]

1990s[link]

Shetty at the musical Miss Bollywood

Shetty started her career by modelling for Limca in 1991 at age 16^[9] and made her film debut in 1993 with Baazigar, portraying a woman murdered by her psychopathic boyfriend. Shetty took the supporting role of Seema, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan and Kajol; the film was a major success and earned her a nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.^[10]

Her first leading role was in the film Aag in 1994, which was averagely received at the box office. She had a hit that same year with the film Main Khiladi Tu Anari opposite Akshay Kumar.^[11] This was followed by many films which were average to poor performers at the box office. Shetty starred in another big film that year, Aao Pyaar Karen, followed in 1995 by Hathkadi, where she was working alongside actors such as Saif Ali Khan, Govinda and Madhoo, but they failed at the box office. 1997 was one of her busiest years: she appeared in six different films, beginning with the Telugu language film Veedeva Dani Babu. Her first major Bollywood film of that year was the action thriller Auzaar. Shilpa portrayed the character of Prathna Thakur alongside actors Salman Khan and Sanjay Kapoor. In 1998, she had one release, Pardesi Babu, for which she received critical acclaim and won the Bollywood Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress.

2000s[link]

In 2000, Shetty received much acclaim for her role in Dhadkan which earned reasonable takings at the Indian box office.^[12] She received several nominations under the Best Actress category in award ceremonies. She would later go on to star with Anil Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor in the film Rishtey (2002). Her comic performance as an eccentric fisherwoman was appreciated and she received a nomination under the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award category and nominations for Best Comedian as well.^[13]

2004 was a good year for Shetty with the release of Garv in which she portrayed a Muslim orphan and disillusioned table dancer starring opposite Salman Khan. According to Shetty, she chose to do the film because she liked the subject. The film was a cop drama.^[14] She received much acclaim for her performance in Phir Milenge, where she made a sensitive portrayal of a successful city high-flyer who contracts HIV from unprotected sex and becomes a social outcast as a result. The film, based on 1993's Philadelphia, was perceived to have tackled a social taboo as yet unaddressed by Bollywood.^[15] The film earned Shetty a Filmfare Best Actress nomination, and provided an impetus for her HIV-related charity work (see below). Film critic Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted, "Phir Milenge belongs to Shilpa Shetty completely. She delivers, what can be rightly called, the performance of her career. The viewer feels and empathises with the character mainly because of her effective portrayal. She conveys the pain and the emotional upheaval through her expressive eyes, making it amongst the most memorable performances the year has seen so far."^[16] Shetty stated that she had taken the role to reinvent herself by portraying the rather unconventional character of an anti-terrorist squad member.^[14]

She starred with her sister in the film Fareb in 2005. Shilpa had one release in 2006, the much delayed Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar. The film was a box office flop, but she got good reviews for her role as a not entirely likeable wife.^[17] In 2006, she was a judge on Jhalak Dikhlaja, a Sony Entertainment Television dance show based on the original UK show Strictly Come Dancing.

Shetty was once featured in Mani Ratnam's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai.

2007 proved to be Shetty's most successful year at the box office so far. Her first release, Life in a... Metro, won a significant reception and became the first Bollywood movie to premiere at Leicester Square.^[18] The film performed well at the box office and was declared a semi-hit within three weeks. Additionally, the film was critically acclaimed and Shetty's performance was appreciated, with Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN writing, "It's a terrific performance and unquestionably Shilpa's best to date."^[19] Her second release, alongside three Deols (Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby), the drama Apne, was also a box office success.

Other projects[link]

Celebrity Big Brother[link]

Shetty was a contestant in and the winner of Celebrity Big Brother UK.^[20] and was the first Indian celebrity included in the Celebrity version. Reportedly paid Rs.31.5 m (£367,500 GBP) for her participation,^[21] she said to presenter Davina McCall, "I just want every Indian to be extremely proud that I'm in here".^[22] As for her participation, she stated: "I have zero expectations. The only thing I really hope to keep is my self-respect and my dignity."^[23] Her sister Shamita told the Times of India that this "is the boldest decision Shilpa has taken hitherto."^[24]

During her time, Shetty instructed fellow housemates Carole Malone and Ken Russell in meditation,^[25] and flirted with Dirk Benedict^[26] but tempers started to fray by Day 7 as a clique formed in the house disapproving of Shilpa's presence.^[27][28] Following a worldwide controversy that publicised her as a target of racist bullying within the house (see below), Shetty won the contest after gaining 63% of the public vote and described the experience as "incredible and overwhelming". She further thanked the public for "a fantastic opportunity to make my country proud".^[29]

Post Celebrity Big Brother[link]

In February 2007, Shetty attended a reception at the House of Commons by invitation of Keith Vaz MP to meet with then Prime Minister Tony Blair. She was also invited to meet with Queen Elizabeth II at Marlborough House in London in March 2007. During an interview on This Morning, Shetty confirmed that she had been asked to act in the British EastEnders soap opera, and turned it down as it would mean all her other arrangements would have to go on hold.^[30]

She was the subject of a Sky One documentary entitled The Real Shilpa Shetty, which was produced by British television production company Twofour. The large number of commercial offers that Shilpa received after winning Celebrity Big Brother themselves became reason for controversy with an increasing number of accusations about her riding the 'racism' wave to commercial gain.^[31] She was on the cover of the first issue of OK! Magazine to be sold in India.^[32]

In early September 2007 she modelled at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, which also displayed some famous Bollywood actresses including Lara Dutta and Celina Jaitley.^[33] As of October 2007, Shilpa will be seen in a musical titled Miss Bollywood. On her agenda next is a cookery book titled Soul Curry and the role of Sita in Uru Patel's international venture Hanuman.^[34]

Bigg Boss[link]

In August 2008, Shetty began hosting the second season of Bigg Boss, the Indian version of Big Brother. Controversially, Jade Goody was one of the initial housemates. Goody left the Bigg Boss House early in the series after receiving news that she had cervical cancer, of which she later died on 22 March 2009.

Indian Premier League[link]

In February 2009 Shilpa and her husband Raj Kundra became part owners of the Indian Premier League franchise cricket team Rajasthan Royals by paying approximately US $15.4 million for a 11.7% stake.

HIV-AIDS[link]

In February 2006 Shetty lent support to a BBC World Service Trust television show designed to tackle the problem of HIV-AIDS in India.^[35] The project, which also involved other celebrities Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, and Raveena Tandon in separate episodes, featured Shetty as she shadowed a young achiever whose work involved raising awareness about the condition. According to reports, she participated in order to show solidarity with HIV-AIDS sufferers.^[35]

The issue is particularly close to Shetty's heart as she had portrayed an HIV-positive sufferer in her 2004 movie Phir Milenge. Speaking about the movie and HIV in general, Shetty said: "Why not a film on HIV positive patients? It is a social stigma in our society. We made this film to highlight this problem ... This film will bring about a social awareness about AIDS in our country. It is high time we talked about this in our society".^[14]

PETA[link]

In March 2006 various sources reported Shetty's joining PETA as part of an advertising campaign against the use of wild animals in circuses.^[36] According to a PETA India press release, Shetty is a long-time PETA supporter and has assisted the campaign by posing for photographs in a figure-hugging tiger costume. She explained that her crouching in a cage was uncomfortable during the photoshoot, but that her discomfort was insignificant compared to the pain suffered by the creatures. "These once dignified animals only leave their cages, which are barely larger than the size of their bodies, for a few minutes each day to be forced into the ring to perform tricks which make no sense and are upsetting to them. The best way to help animals suffering in circuses is to boycott the circus".^[37]

Shetty revealed in a later interview that she felt strongly about this cause and that she was appalled to hear of the cruel treatment suffered by such animals. "I thought I should stop that. If I can make a little difference to their lives, why not go for it?"^[14]

Personal life[link]

Shilpa Shetty with husband Raj Kundra. On May 21st 2012, the couple welcomed a baby boy!

Shetty married Raj Kundra on 22 November 2009 and announced on her web site that "I am officially Shilpa Shetty Kundra now!!"^[38][39]. Shilpa gave birth to baby boy on 21 May 2012 early in the morning.^[40]

Controversies[link]

Obscenity charges[link]

In April 2006, a Madurai court issued non-bailable warrants against Shetty and Reema Sen for "posing in an obscene manner" in photographs published by a Tamil newspaper.^[41] The report stated that the two actresses had failed to comply with earlier summons for the same reason, hence the issuance of the warrants.^[41] The petitioner submitted that the paper had published "very sexy blow-ups and medium blow-ups" in its December 2005 and January 2006 issues, and alleged that these violated the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986, Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1956, and the Indian Penal Code Section 292 (Sale of Obscene Books). The petitioner further demanded that the images be confiscated under the terms of the Press and Registration of Book Act 1867.

Shetty responded that she had not received any court summons and also discounted the charges. She further claimed that the pictures were freeze-frame shots from a recent movie that only exposed her navel. "As far as my photographs go, what is obscene about it? If navel-showing is obscenity, then our traditional Indian outfit – the traditional sari – should be banned in the first place."^[42]

In January 2007 outgoing Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal confirmed that Shetty had written to him requesting that he enunciate guidelines against frivolous lawsuits against artists, but that he had refused her plea on the grounds that she should have filed a formal petition instead of writing a letter.^[43]

Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy[link]

Shetty in 2007

During her time on Celebrity Big Brother, Shetty was the target of racism and bullying by other housemates, chiefly by Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd.^[44] After mocking the east London dialect of Jade Goody's mother, who mispronounced her name as 'Shiwpa', Shetty was mocked for her Indian accent and was branded "The Indian" and a "dog". Disparaging conversations took place among the other housemates about Indian eating habits, and Shetty's cooking was criticised for giving O'Meara diarrhoea.^[45] After Shetty attempted to dispose of left-over chicken soup down the toilet and caused a blockage, Jack Tweed suggested that she should pick the bones out with her teeth^[45] and allegedly referred to her as a "fucking Paki",^[46] although show producers denied this and stated that the word used was "cunt".^[47][48] During a fierce argument, Goody told Shetty that she needed to "spend a day in the slums", although the media falsely reported this as "go back to the slums".^[49] Claiming that she did not know Shilpa's surname, Jade referred to her as "Shilpa Fuckawallah", "Shilpa Durupa", and "Shilpa Poppadom", later claiming that they were non-racist references to Indian food.^[50][51] Lloyd had opined that Shetty's English-speaking skills were lacking and verbally indicated her desire that Shetty would "fuck off home".^[52] Shetty had been reduced to tears on several occasions, confiding to fellow housemate Ian Watkins: "I feel like I'm losing my dignity."^[45]

Shetty speculated that she might be a victim of racism,^[53] but later retracted it by claiming: "People say things in anger."^[50] A record 40,000 complaints were received jointly by OFCOM and Channel 4 about the treatment of Shetty, 30 of which were formally investigated by Hertfordshire police.^[47][54] Carphone Warehouse suspended its sponsorship of the show^[55] and Louise Burfitt-Dons, the founder of the Act Against Bullying charity, branded Jade Goody's behaviour as "unforgivable".^[56][57] The controversy reached the British Parliament as an early day motion in the House of Commons was tabled.^[58][59] The row then escalated into an international diplomatic incident after a formal complaint from Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma lodged with then British PM Tony Blair that threatened to sour relations and damage trade between the two countries. In the city of Patna in Bihar, India, angry protestors marched in the streets and burned effigies in protest of the show, terming it 'Bigot Brother'.^[60][61]

During a parliamentary Prime Minister's Question Time session Blair responded that "We should oppose racism in all its forms."^[60] Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was in India on a goodwill visit, condemned the controversy as "offensive" and the opposite of what Britain stood for: "I want Britain to be seen as a country of fairness and tolerance. Anything that detracts from that I condemn."^[47][62] In an official statement, Channel 4 denied that overt racial abuse or behaviour had been directed at Shetty, but acknowledged that a "cultural and class clash" was responsible for the disputes.^[53] After a thorough investigation, OFCOM made an unprecedented move and issued a ruling that Channel 4 were guilty of broadcasting potentially racist material, and required them to make multiple apologies on air during the next Big Brother season.^[63][64]

Richard Gere kissing incident[link]

On 15 April 2007, Richard Gere kissed Shetty on the cheek several times in jest during an AIDS-awareness event.^[65] The pair were appearing at a press conference in New Delhi as part of a campaign to preach safe sex to truck drivers in India and promote AIDS awareness.^[66] The kiss, considered an attack on India's cultural and moral values^[who?], prompted protesters – alleged members of the extremist Hindu group Shiv Sena – to beat burning effigies of Gere with sticks.^[67] Others set fire to glamour shots of Shetty. Some groups demanded an apology from her and threatened to ban her movies in the state.^[68] Shiv Sena leaders denied involvement in the protests, but Shiv Sena member of parliament Sanjay Raut observed that the protests are "just a manifestation of the anger of the general public" and that there was "nothing wrong with expressing contempt at such an act".^[69]

Similar protests broke out in other cities, including Varanasi, Hinduism's holiest city, and the northern town of Meerut, where crowds of hundreds of thousands chanted "Down with Shilpa Shetty!" The STAR News office was also attacked. The protests did not take any violent turn and the situation was quickly brought under control, with some activists being detained.^[70]

Shetty responded to these protests by saying, "I understand this (kissing) is his (Gere's) culture, not ours. But this was not such a big thing or so obscene for people to overreact in such a manner. I understand people's sentiments, but I do not want a foreigner to take bad memories from here."^[70]

On 26 April 2007, an Indian court in Rajasthan issued a warrant for Shetty and Gere's arrest.^[71]

The legal action against both Shetty and Gere has been suspended by the Indian Supreme Court until the court decides on the case's proper jurisdiction. Gere has since expressed regret for causing any offence and Shetty has said, "so much has been blown out of proportion."^[72]

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of Indian film actresses

References[link]