Up until the time Shilpa Shetty walked away as the winner of the UK's Celebrity Big Brother reality show, which thrust her into limelight after a race row with fellow housemates Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd, she was still on Bollywood's B-list.
She did, however, receive praise for her performances in Dhadkan (2000) and Phir Milenge (2004). Given that she made her debut in Baazigar (1993) and landed a plethora of projects thereafter, it is clear that Shetty's career path was far from easy.
Shilpa Shetty engaged to Raj Kundra
After her graceful handling of the Big Brother racism issue in 2007, Shetty soon became the darling of the world. She was invited to the House of Commons to meet with the then prime minister Tony Blair. She also got to enjoy high tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Marlborough House.
Let's not forget about the fab "free" publicity she got from being invited to all the big talk shows, while also being hounded by magazines wanting to know more about this Indian beauty.
After all, the Bollywood point of reference for most used to be Aishwarya Rai.
Over the years, Shetty has truly blossomed (with a little nip and tuck... but sssshhhh!!!).
After Akshay Kumar, her Dhadkan co-star, broke her heart and married fellow actress Twinkle Khanna, Shetty kept her love life under wraps.
Prior to her hookup with businessman Raj Kundra, who co-owns the Indian Premier League cricket team Rajasthan Royals with her, in 2007 she was linked to the film director Anubhav Sinha.
That she recently purchased a house on Saint George's Hill in Surrey, England, with Kundra suggests that Shetty is very much in love.
In a recent interview she said: "I know everyone's eager to know about the wedding date. All I can say is, yes, it has's been finalised and I will make an official announcement as soon as I know when Shamita (her younger sister) is here."
Her sister, by the way, is participating in Bigg Boss 3, which is India's response to the reality TV programme Big Brother, so she hasn't had contact with the family since being locked in the house.
Shetty added: "I wanted to have Shamita there during my special moment, but I had to be considerate towards Raj's family, too. I know Shamita will be shocked, but I'm sure she will understand. I can't wait to show her my ring."
Seems Shetty's finally got her happy ending... and it wasn't on screen.
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By Debashine Thangevelo
