Shilpa Shetty: If audiences still expect more from me after 32 years, that’s a compliment

After more than three decades in the industry, Shilpa Shetty Kundra says she has become increasingly selective about the projects she takes on, particularly as she balances her professional commitments with motherhood.Speaking about her upcoming reality-format show Zee 5's Maa Hai Na, she says the concept appealed to her because of its focus on the relationship between mothers and children. “This didn’t entail too much of my time. The beauty of doing reality TV is that you are able to film very fun content. I loved the fact that there was this angle of the bond between mothers and children — people who maybe haven’t been able to express themselves fully — finding that space through this show. We thought we’d just laugh through the show, but while filming, we all cried. There were moments where children were expressing things they had never said to their mothers before, and that was very beautiful to witness,” she shares.Over the years, Shilpa has worn many hats — actress, television personality, entrepreneur and wellness advocate. More recently, projects such as Sukhee and Indian Police Force have seen her return to acting-focused roles.When asked if she feels she has received due recognition as an actress and she says, “If audiences still expect more from me after 32 years, I genuinely take that as a compliment because it means they’re not bored of me yet. I had no formal acting training. I’m South Indian and honestly the first several years of my career went into just learning the language and understanding cinema. I think becoming an actor was destiny for me. In the ‘90s cinema was different and I carved my own niche through glamour, dance and screen presence. But today audiences and cinema have evolved. So, the fact that I can still remain relevant today feels like a blessing,” she says.Despite her longevity in the industry, Shilpa says she continues to approach acting with the same commitment. “I don’t know whether I’m a great actor or not. But I know that if someone comes to me with a role, I will give it everything I have. Acting is not a mere chore for me. It gave me recognition, fame, love and audiences who stood by me for years. So whatever I do now feels like an ode to them. Big role, small role — those things don’t matterto me anymore. What matters is whether thecollaboration excites me creatively and whether I can entertain people honestly.”