Shilpa gets more support from Bollywood

India Diaspora
Shilpa gets more support from Bollywood
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS, Jan 23, 2007 - 12:58:25 PM

Mumbai, Jan 23 - Even as the tormentor of Shilpa Shetty has been voted out of British reality TV show 'Celebrity Big Brother', Bollywood is still rallying in her support.

Anupam Kher -: To be called such names is just not unparliamentary. It's appalling. I don't know how it - allowed. Having said that I must say reality television is all about grief... and that's the brief.

No, I never force tears out of the contestants on Zee Cine Stars. But the tears don't hurt the TRPs. Shilpa went with her eyes open. And look what her presence has done to the show! 'Big Brother' is being watched by everyone! I love the dignity with which she handled herself. But governments getting into the game show? Now that according to me is a bit too much!

Arshad Warsi -: First of all, let me say Shilpa is beautiful, articulate and very camera friendly. Hence she was a sitting target for all the other inmates at 'Big Brother'.

I must say the show's format is about pushing each other over the brink. When you go into 'Big Brother' you're ready to face this kind of behaviour. That's what the show is about. I'm proud of Shilpa. If she's affecting them, it means she's better than all of them in there.

Dino Morea: If they're calling Shilpa a 'dog' or refusing to eat the food cooked by her, it doesn't amount to racism, thought that's bad enough. But if they're making snide references to her skin colour and her accent and calling her 'Paki' then I'm afraid this is a serious issue, and we need to take very serious note of it. I was offered the Indian version of 'Big Brother' but I refused 'Bigg Boss'.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra: I think the show is being given too much importance.

Ekta Kapoor: It's amazing how she has maintained her dignity. Hats off to her. I'd have given it back to those racial snobs so hard they'd have been crying about discrimination.

Aryan Vaid: I've been on the Indian counterpart -. Believe me, it's tough and its scary and scarring. The fact that Shilpa's humiliation on 'Big Brother' is being discussed in British parliament shows the matter cannot be taken lightly.

But to make this an issue of 'us' against 'them' is slightly premature. Let's not forget that in the 'Big Brother' house people resort to a lot of mind games... Everyone in there is under a lot of pressure.

Simi Garewal: I don't believe any living creature should be humiliated... and definitely not for public entertainment. Still, I don't think Shilpa should walk out mid-game. I think the channel should disallow racial slurs. But you know what? This is going to be the trend now. Every country will have reality shows just to win eyeballs. I only hope racial discrimination doesn't become a TRP boosting device.