Shamita Shetty: I never really went away to make a comeback

Shamita Shetty, who made her big acting debut with Mohabbatein in 2000, recently found herself back in the spotlight with her significant role in the movie The Tenant (2023). While many called it her comeback, Shamita is not particularly found of the term.

“I never really went away to make a comeback,” she quips, adding, “I just took my time in choosing the projects that I did. I’ve always given preference to quality over quantity. And that’s probably one of the reasons why I always had a constant, or rather this long gap between every release. But, there’s some interesting work coming my way from OTT platforms now.”

This journey, however, has not been an easy one, admits Shamita, especially with the shadow of being the sister of actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra always lingering around her.

Observing the difference in the thinking now, Shamita tells us, “It’s not just a difference in the industry, it’s people’s expectation and perception of you. It’s not just within the industry. Unfortunately, there are constant comparisons and there will always be those comparisons. But, every individual is different.”

“It was difficult for me initially, but I’m fine now. The scenarios are quite a bit changed now. But having said that, there are a lot more changes that are needed, which I think will naturally happen in time,” she adds.

After working for 23 years in the film industry, observing various changes, the actor feels that, “both box office numbers and fan appreciation are important for an actor”. Having said that, she believes that content is the king now.

Shetty elaborates, “It’s your story that is the most important. It’s not just about which actor is going to be a part of which film. Your content is the hero. There are so many different OTT platforms with great content that people are experimenting with.”

“In fact, the kind of work or subjects the audience is expecting has also changed, also because they’ve been through so much due to Coronavirus. Now, they want to see content that is real and relatable. So, I think the kind of movies that are being churned out right now, are as for those expectations. But for me personally, it’s about being a part of something different, real, and relatable, that sends the right message,” the actor adds.

Besides films, Shetty has also done reality shows, including, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, Khatron Ke Khiladi 9, and Bigg Boss. Does she think it could put her in the much talked about small screen domain?

“I don’t think so,” she answers, continuing, “Because you have a lot of mainstream actors being a part of television now, whether it’s judging or whatever. I did some of the biggest reality shows, but I always went back to doing films as well. It’s not about any platform or industry, it’s performing an art. TV is huge, and gives you a great fan following and very good money. The kind of fan following and love that I received after doing shows like Big Boss, I never received doing films. I would never restrict myself when it came to a particular industry,” the actor wraps up.