Shilpa Shetty: The Journey From Baazigar To Entrepreneurship

As kids, one of the first lessons in protecting ourselves from toxic relationships we learnt was from Shilpa Shetty Kundra's debut movie Baazigar (1993). Don't ever sit on the railing of the terrace fancily dangling your legs, or Shah Rukh Khan might throw you off. And always post handwritten letters yourself. Even today, as house parties enter the wee hours of the morning, we play 'Chura Ke Dil Mera' ( Main Khiladi Tu Anari, 1994) where she and Akshay Kumar had set the Mauritius beaches on fire.

But a question we ask ourselves, is that over the years, how did the glam actress get involved in the world of entrepreneurship, diversifying into fitness, food, nutrition and other categories?

"Honestly it wasn't a contrived step, it was a gradual transition from just being a brand endorser to believing in the brand so much as to invest. I guess when you are invested you tend to put in a bit more , which works for the brand and for you in the long run. My investments are also not based on how much money or profit margins I can earn, but mainly about what is the ethos of the brand, what it aims to deliver in the long run, what change / help that product brings in a consumer's life and why would the product be on the top of everyone's wish list and shelves too. My investments are about values and vision. Speaking of entrepreneurship, there is always a different joy in seeing your visions turn into reality The Simple Soulful App, from its inception, has grown exponentially. I have seen so many lives changing via the app and it motivates me to do better and navigate more ways to make changes. I am an epicurean and the ability to satiate people's tastebuds through Bastian (restaurant) is an incredible feeling. Entrepreneurship came from a place of passion," she told us.

Shilpa believes heavily in the products that she endorses or invests in. In the baby care and beauty segment, she was using Mamaearth for her son Viaan even before she had invested in it and now sees it as being a leader in its category. Her other investments include Fast & Up in the nutrition category, and she shall be coming up with a couple of other announcements in the nutrition and food space soon. Her objective is to promote a healthy lifestyle and diet among the people of the country. Lastly, Hunar is an investment that remains close to her and related to the cause of women's empowerment and overall skill development for individuals so that they can become breadwinners for the family. Hunar is an online skill-building course that helps people at home to skill themselves and lead a better life.

The author can be reached at bkabir@entrepreneurindia.com and Instagram.com/kabirsinghbhandari