Shilpa Shirodkar

Shilpa Shirodkar (born 20 November 1969) is an Indian actress who enjoyed a period of popularity in the 1990s. Shilpa is the elder sister of actress and former Miss India Namrata Shirodkar. Shilpa and Namrata started their careers together, but Shilpa started with films and Namrata with modeling; and by the time Namarata became an actress, Shilpa had quit. Shilpa is the granddaughter of the famous Marathi actress Meenakshi Shirodkar, who starred in the Marathi film Brahmachari (1938), and stunned the audience by wearing a swimsuit. Shirodkar made her debut with the 1989 film Bhrashtachar in which she played the role of a blind girl. She then starred opposite Anil Kapoor in the super hit film Kishen Kanhaiya (1990), She had several other successful films such as Trinetra (1991), Hum (1991), Khuda Gawah (1992), Aankhen (1993), Pehchaan (1993), Gopi Kishan (1994), Bewafa Sanam (1995) and the critically acclaimed Mrityudand (1997). Her last film appearance was in the 2000 film Gaja Gamini. She was praised for her performances in films such as Mritiyudand, Khuda Gawah, Choti Bahu and Gopi Kishan. She was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Khuda Gawah. She took a long hiatus from show business to raise her family and is now ready for a second innings albeit in television. She has shifted residence to Mumbai and busy shooting in Delhi suburb for her comeback vehicle, Zee TV’s new show Ek Muthi Aasman based on the life of domestic helps. She married Apresh Ranjit, a merchant banker from the UK, on 11 July 2000 in Mumbai, after which she gave up acting and settled down in London, where her husband is employed with Barclays Bank. She gave birth to a daughter, Anushka, in 2003, and is now a home-maker.