Anurag Basu: We miss Shilpa on set, I don’t know when she will be back
Filmmaker Anurag Basu says he is clueless about when actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra will return to the kids’ reality show, Super Dancer, they judge.
Actor Shilpa Shetty has been judging the kids’ dance reality show, Super Dancer, for four seasons now. But, ever since her husband, Raj Kundra, got arrested on July 20 for his alleged involvement in creating and publishing porn films through mobile apps, she has been away from the show. And her co-judge, filmmaker Anurag Basu, admits that she is dearly missed.
“Yes, absolutely, we miss Shilpa a lot on set. There’s a bonding between all of us, who’re a part of the show, and which also includes people behind the scene and the choreographers. We’re a small family and when one person isn’t around, then bahut mushkil hota hai. Shilpa is dear to us,” he tells us.
Meanwhile, Shilpa Shetty Kundra participated in a Covid-19 fund-raiser, We For India, on Sunday. This is her first social media appearance after her husband, Raj Kundra’s arrest last month. In her segment, Shetty demonstrated breathing exercises and talked about how to overcome negative thoughts. “Mushkil waqt mein negative thoughts ka aana swabhavik hai... Positive rehne ke liye apni breathing ko sahi karne ke liye, aaj ke time mein pranayam pehle se bhi zyada zaroori ho gaya hai (It’s natural to have negative thoughts during tough times but to control that, it’s important to control your breath. That’s why pranayama has become integral to remain positive and improve breathing),” she said.
In Shetty’s absence, a number have joined Basu and choreographer Geeta Kapoor on the judges panel. But, the 51-year-old director, who and Shetty have also worked together in the film, Life in a... Metro (2007), says he has no idea when the actor is expected to resume shoot of the show.
“I have no clue. I had sent her a message asking, ‘When are you coming back’, but I got no reply, so I don’t know when she will be back. I can’t say. I don’t know what’s happening. Let’s hope (she returns) soon. I’m just looking forward,” he adds.
However, with or without Shetty, work continues for Basu on the show. Other than his TV commitment, which is keeping him busy, Basu is also ecstatic about being nominated in the best director category at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne for his film Ludo (2020), which had an OTT releases last year.
“I’m very happy about it. The past two years there have been no award ceremonies happening. I’ll not be modest at all. Awards really matter to me, and I look forward to the nominations and getting awards. It didn’t matter when I didn’t get any, but the moment I started getting awards, they started to matter for me. Now, digitally whatever awards are happening, I tell them to share the trophies with me because I like them. It gives you a little more confidence and drives you every time,” he ends.