Source: Daily Record
Date: Jan 5, 2007
By Lisa Adams And Samantha Booth
BOLLYWOOD looks set to become the hottest new thing in Britain thanks to Celebrity Big Brother.
Indian beauty Shilpa Shetty, dressed in a glamorous pink sari, turned heads as she entered the reality TV house on Wednesday.
The award-winning actress, 31, who is already a household name across Asia, has vowed to recruit a new generation of Bollywood movie fans in this country too.
She said: "I just want every Indian to be extremely proud that I'm in here.
"I want to clear out the myths and misconceptions of Indian people.
"We are modern, intelligent and glamorous."
Shilpa is part of a multi-million-pound industry which produces more movies than its Hollywood namesake.
Astaggering 800 movies a year roll out of Bollywood and a billion more people a year buying tickets to them than Hollywood films - 14 million tickets are sold in India every day.
Now Bollywood's popularity is growing in he UK, with Scotland a hot location.
Experts agree it's the stars who can make or break a movie ... but who are the Bollywood greats?
BIPASHA BASU
THIS Bengali beauty could give supermodel Kate Moss a run for her money.
Bipasha, 27, whose name means "deep, dark desire" hit the Bollywood big time after winning the Ford supermodel of the world contest aged 17.
Today, she is one of Asia's sexiest screen stars - so it's hard to believe her dark skin left her branded ugly as a child.
Bipasha is fluent in English, Bengali, and Hindi and wanted to study medicine until she fainted while dissecting rats.
Her hits include No Entry and last year's smash Phir Hera Pheri. She has also starred in music videos for Sonu Nigam and Jay Sean.
Bipasha dates co-star John Abraham, whom she met on the set of the movie Jism.
LARA DUTTA
HALF-SCOT Lara, 28, has only recently become a Bollywood star.
Brought up in Uttar Pradesh in northern India, she was initially a model, being crowned Miss Universe in 2000, a title saw her made a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador.
She made her film debut in 2003 in Andaaz, winning the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and the attention of Hollywood.
But this newcomer is choosy - she rejected roles in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions as she didn't like the scripts.
HRITHIK ROSHAN
HIS is one of the biggest turn-around stories.
Despite being a child prot?g?, Hrithik suffered arun of flops as an adult before re-emerging in current hit Dhoom 2.
Now 31, he is close to sealing a three-movie deal that would make him Bollywood's top earner, commanding £1.4million a film.
The son of a well-known actor/director and nephew of a famous music director, it was no surprise that Hrithik joined the family firm.
He is now married to actress Suzanne Khan, also from an acting family, and they had their first child, son Hrehaan, last March.
AISHWARIYA RAI
FORMER Miss World Aishwariya, 33, is Bollywood's leading lady.
Born in Mangalore, in the south Indian state of Karnataka, she hit the big time in Britain after starring as the heroine in Bride and Prejudice, a Hollywood-funded but Bollywood-inspired version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Voted one of world's most beautiful women, she is one of India's highest paid actresses and was chosen by Time magazine as one of Asia's 100 most influential people.
But she is not just a very pretty face. Her native languages are Tulu and Kannada but this straight-A student also speaks fluent Hindi, Marathi, English and Tamil.
She was studying architecture when she tried modelling to earn extra cash.
Her breakthrough came in 2002 when she starred with Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in Devdas - the movie was shown at Cannes, hurtling her on to the world stage.
She's appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show and her replica is on display Madame Tussaud's in London.
Aishwariya previously dated Bollywood co-star Salman Khan. He allegedly dumped her after discovering she lost her virginity at 15. She still lives with her parents.
RAIMA SEN
TIPPED as Bollywood's next big thing, Raima, 27, had a slow start to her career until the critically acclaimed 2005 smash Parineeta catapulted her into Bollywood A-List.
But her success was inevitable - her mum in actress Moon Moon Sen and granny is Bollywood legend Suchitra Sen.
Raima's latest hits include Dus and Antar Mahal and her films out in 2007 include Meridian and Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.
AMITABH BACHCHAN
DUBBED The Godfather of Bollywood, this 65-year-old has been a star for four decades and is considered to be India's Al Pacino.
Amitabh started his career playing angry young men in hits including Chupke Chupke and Do Aur Do Paanch then found success in later life in comedies.
He is married to actress Jade Bhaduri and they have two children - son Abhishek is now also making his name in Bollywood.
After a three-year stint as an Indian MP, Amitabh has latterly found success hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of TV quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Under his guidance, it has become such a hit that cinema bosses complained it dramatically reduced audience attendance on the four nights it was aired.
SHAH RUKH KHAN
KNOWN as "King Khan", this 41-year-old household name is now turning his decades of acting experience to directing.
Time magazine described him as probably the most recognisable actor in the world.
He commands an audience of 3.6 billion people, a cool £600,000 per film (50million rupees), plus up to £4million in annual events and endorsements.
He starred in the smash hit 1995 movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which remains one of the highest earning Bollywood films.
In 2005, he produced and starred in Paheli, which was India's selection for the foreign films category at the Academy Awards.
Later that year he was also on the National Geographic cover.
He has won six Filmfare Best Actor awards and was the lead in Hum Hain Laajawab, the Hindi version of Pixar's The Incredibles.
Next year he takes over from Amitabh Bachchan as the host of Millionaire.
SALMAN KHAN
BOLLYWOOD's answer to Brad Pitt, the 41-year-old actor is one of their biggest stars and, like many of his Hollywood counterparts, has the bad-boy reputation to go with it.
He was the star of the highest earning Bollywood films in 1989, 1991, 1994, 1999 and 2005 and has been named the seventh best looking man in the world by People magazine.
However, this heartthrob can't seem to stay out of trouble.
Aishwarya Rai claimed he abused her during their relationship and he was sentenced to five years in jail last year for shooting an endangered deer, although he was later released on bail.
Nonetheless, he is still one of Bollywood's biggest box office draws.
He has several films due out this year, including London Dreams and God Tussi Great Ho.
He is an avid bodybuilder and is famous for taking his shirt off in movies.
ANNABELLE WALLIS
THIS blonde Scots beauty looks an unlikely Bollywood star.
But the 22-year-old from Inverness has caused a stir since her big break starring with Amitabh Bachchan in the Hindi movie Dil Jo Bhi Kahey (Whatever The Heart says).
Acting is clearly in Annabelle's blood. She is the niece of acting legend Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies.
Blonde Inverness lass Annabelle caused astir in her big break with Bachchan