Actor Shilpa Shirodkar, who was a popular face in Hindi cinema during the early 90s, recently shared a bizarre memory from her early acting days. She revealed how she was once mistakenly reported as dead in a newspaper while she was shooting for a film.
Shilpa said the incident happened during the shoot of Raghuveer in Kullu Manali. At the time, mobile phones weren’t available, so her father kept trying to call the hotel where she was staying.
Locals were confused if it was really her
“I was shooting with Suniel Shetty,” Shilpa said. “People watching the shoot kept whispering, wondering if it was really me. They had seen the newspaper and were confused whether I was alive or not.”
Her parents were worried after reading the news
When Shilpa returned to her hotel room, she found 20–25 missed calls from her father. “My parents were panicking. A newspaper headline had said ‘Shilpa Shirodkar was shot dead.’ Later, I was told it was for a film’s promotion. I thought, okay… but this was a bit too much,” she said.
At that time, Shilpa explained, there were no public relations teams handling film promotions. “No one took permission back then. I had no idea this would happen. I was the last one to find out,” she added.
Despite the shock, she wasn’t too upset because the film did well.
She was once called unlucky after films failed
Apart from this strange incident, Shilpa also opened up about how she was once labeled panauti when some of her films didn’t perform well at the box office. Yet, she continued working and remained strong in the face of criticism.
More about Raghuveer
Raghuveer, directed by K Pappu, released in 1995. It featured Shilpa alongside Suniel Shetty, Sudha Chandran, and Suresh Oberoi. The film collected over ₹6 crore worldwide and was a moderate hit.
Shilpa Shirodkar journey
Shilpa Shirodkar made her film debut in 1989 with Ramesh Sippy’s Bhrashtachar, where she played a blind girl opposite Mithun Chakraborty and Rekha. She later starred in several successful movies like Khuda Gawah, Aankhen, Pehchaan, Gopi Kishan, Bewafa Sanam, and Mrityudand.
Her last appearance on the big screen was in Gajagamini (2000). After a break, she transitioned to television in 2013, acting in several TV shows. Most recently, she was seen in Bigg Boss 18 in 2024, hosted by Salman Khan.
