Actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra had two films slated for release this year — Nikamma and Hungama 2 —but due to the pandemic, both will not make it to the theatres anytime soon. However, she says that her reintroduction on the big screen is not more important than health.
This year was a big one for Shilpa Shetty Kundra and her fans as the actor was set to make a comeback after a gap of 13 years. And it was going to be a double celebration for her as she had two films releasing. However, the Covid-19 pandemic played quite a spoil sport.
“Man proposes pandemic disposes ,” Shlipa says with a hearty laugh, adding that she isn’t sweating much about it as she has got this time to spend with her daughter, Samisha, who she welcomed via surrogacy on February 15.
“I’m someone who lives in the now, you’ve to take it as it comes, I don’t think my reintroduction on the big screen is more important than health. I don’t want to step out of the house as it is. When my daughter was born, I was so worried that I have two films, how would I manage?” she shares.
The 45-year-old had almost finished Nikamma and a little of Hungama 2 was left before the pandemic struck. “So we had done it in a way that it was going to be easy for me post my daughter’s birth, but I still wouldn’t have got the time like I do now, with Samisha; this is priceless,” she adds.
Calling 2020 a “blur” for everyone, Kundra feels that things will not go back to normal before next year.
“My films are on floors. I don’t think it makes any sense for producers to release their films this years. I will wait for my time. 2021 is the year. 2020 didn’t exist,” she quips.
Given that many films have taken the digital route, would she be okay if her films, too, get a direct-to-OTT release? The actor reveals that the filmmakers of both her films aren’t too keen about the idea.
“I’ve had a word with Sabbir (Khan; director of Nikamma) and he’d not like to release it on the web. Ours is a very big film, we want to hear it on a Dolby digital surround sound. Even Ratan ji (Ratan Jain; producer Hungama 2) doesn’t want to do it. These are not OTT films. Everything happens for the best, we’ll get to it when we get to it,” she remains hopeful.
While films might have taken a backseat, Shilpa has been taking utmost care of her health and fitness the past three months and in the process, she has turned a vegetarian. While she admits that being a Mangalorean it was “difficult to give up the fish and chicken”, she’s happy that she’s now on the right path.
“It has been a slow and gradual process. I first gave up meat and then chicken and then fish. I luckily have a spouse (Raj Kundra) who wanted to do it for health reasons but he has gone a step ahead become a vegan. When you see scientific evidence that supports the idea of a plant-based diet, you realise you’d rather adopt it, and not make your body a graveyard for animals. These are good enough reasons to do it. I’ve seen a big change in my body,” she concludes.