BOLLYWOOD SEXY CHOCO GIRL SHILPA

Shilpa Shetty is Bollywood's choicest choco-girl, used as sweetener in concoctions that are found on Male Bonding. In super hits such as 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari', 'Dhadkan' and 'Dus', Shilpa was called in to gyrate to hot numbers such as "Churake Dil Mera Goriyan Chali". The impact came to be known as the Shilpa Shetty Effect!

'Dostana', which tells the story of two males who feign to be gay, was obviously in need of a "balanced" start. Tarun Mansukhani didn't have to think twice. He signed up the Shetty.

Shilpa effectively vetoes the combined MQ (Manliness Quotient, for the uninitiated) of John and Abhi with a smile, a wink and two jhatkas!!

A controversy erupted over alleged links between Shetty's parents and the Indian underworld, in 2003, when the Surat police issued arrest warrants against her parents on charges of extortion. Shilpa later said that she was "cut up and devastated" with the way the media had dealt with the case. The only release Shilpa had in 2006 was the much delayed 'Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar'. It flopped. 2007 proved to be lucky and Shilpa's performance in 'Life In A... Metro' was acclaimed. It became the first Bollywood movie to be premiered at Leicester Square. Her second release, 'Apne', starring the Deols, was also a success. A Madurai court, in April 2006, issued non-bailable warrants against Shetty and Reema Sen for "posing in an obscene manner" in photographs published by a Tamil newspaper. Reacting to the controversy, Shilpa said: "If navel-showing is obscenity, then our traditional Indian outfit - the traditional sari - should be banned in the first place."

Shilpa's major films in the 1990s include 'Aao Pyar Karen', 'Hathkadi' 'Auzaar' and 'Pardesi Babu'. Y2K started on a happy note with 'Dhadkan' earning reasonable takings at the Indian box office; she followed it up with 'Rishtey' (2002), 'Garv' (2004), 'Dus' (2005) and 'Fareb' (2005).

Shetty started her modeling career at 16. She made her Bolly debut in 1993 with 'Baazigar', opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Shilpa struck box office gold with 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari' opposite Akshay Kumar.

Shilpa attended St. Anthony Girls' High School in Chembur, Mumbai, and later attended Podar College in Matunga. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, and has also earned a black belt in Karate. She is among the tallest actresses (5 feet 10 inches) in Bollywood.

Shilpa Shetty, born on June 8, 1975, describes herself as a Mangalorean even though she was born in a family that hails from the matrilineal Bunt community of Tamil Nadu. She is the eldest daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty; her native language is Tulu.