Shilpa's musical set for UK - Oct 5 2007
Shilpa Shetty is set to make her stage debut in the UK next month when she tours with her new musical Miss Bollywood.

The glamorous Celebrity Big Brother winner will lead a company of more than 40 leading Bollywood dancers when she takes to the stage in the musical extravaganza from November 3.

She said: "Miss Bollywood will appeal not only to fans of Bollywood films and their super-catchy hit songs but also to the mainstream audiences for high energy dance or musical theatre."

The actress, 32, said the production had been a "labour of love", but added: "Seeing its fruition, from the initial concept into a tangible realisation has been a dream come true."

Miss Bollywood is set against the backdrop of London preparing for the 2012 Olympics and follows Maya (Shilpa) - a classically trained choreographer who leaves India to set up a dance academy in a soon to be demolished east London building.

But while setting up the academy, she has to cope with the unwanted attentions of a famous choreographer and a jealous diva.

With dance routines choreographed by Ganesh Hegde, who has previously worked with Michael Jackson, Shilpa is set to recreate some of the Bollywood film industry's greatest hits over the past 40 years.

Miss Bollywood opens November 3 at Manchester's Opera House with the finale taking place on December 12 at London's Royal Albert Hall.



BB winner Shilpa ’not arrested’ - Sept 28 2007
Shilpa Shetty’s UK spokeswoman has denied that the Bollywood star was arrested in India over her kiss with Richard Gere.

The Celebrity Big Brother winner was stopped at Mumbai Airport by immigration officials on her way to the opening of the Miss Bollywood musical in Berlin.

But the spokeswoman said she was not arrested or detained.

Earlier, Shilpa’s Indian spokesman, Dale Bhagwagar, said: "She called me in the middle of the night and was in tears."

But UK spokeswoman Teji Singh said: "Every time Shilpa leaves the country she has to show her paperwork, because of the Richard Gere thing.

"There was absolutely no detention, no arrest whatsoever. She was rummaging through to get her paperwork and just stepped aside to a side room so she wouldn’t block the queues.

"She wasn’t crying. She was bunged up with the flu and she was only in there for eight to 15 minutes."

Hollywood star Richard, 58, caused an outcry when he grabbed Shilpa, 32, swept her backwards, and kissed her several times on the cheek at an Aids-awareness event earlier this year.

Richard swooped down on Shilpa in April after shouting in Hindi to thousands of truckers "No condom, no sex".

Shilpa went on to defend the actor, saying "so much has been blown out of proportion", and Richard apologised for causing offence.


Shilpa held over Gere kiss - Sept 27 2007
Celebrity Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty is still feeling the effects of a kiss from Hollywood star Richard Gere five months ago.

The actress was held today (Thursday) by immigration officials at Mumbai airport who said she was still wanted for obscenity charges brought in the wake of the public kiss.

Shilpa was in tears after being stopped while on her way to Berlin where the musical Miss Bollywood opens this weekend, said her spokesman Dale Bhagwagar.

Richard publicly kissed the Bollywood beauty in April at an Aids awareness event in India, sparking an outcry among conservative hard-line Hindus, who claimed they had violated the country’s strict anti-obscenity laws.