Actor Shilpa Shirodkar, who made her debut in films with Ramesh Sippy’s Bhrashtachar opposite Mithun Chakraborty, went on to star in several hit films like Hum, Khuda Gawah, Aankhen, among others. Despite being a known face in the Hindi film industry, Shilpa walked away from the limelight at the peak of her career and chose a quiet life abroad with her husband Aparesh Ranjit after marriage. In a recent interaction, Shilpa opened up about her decision and how she doesn’t regret any part of it.
Talking about quitting the film industry when she was at the top of her game, she told Pinkvilla, “I don’t regret taking a break. I miss being busy, but I married such a sweet, nice and simple man and that was important for me to start my life. Unfortunately, I left India and which is why it was difficult for me to continue working. If I would have gotten married in India, I would have hundred percent continue working.”
Shilpa admitted that she never wanted to never feels Mumbai — let alone the country — but her perspective changed after meeting her now-husband for the first time. She agreed to follow him overseas. Talking about the same, she said, “It was an easy decision. When it is your choice, things are very easy. It was my choice. I never wanted to leave Mumbai as I was very close to my parents, but then I met my husband and within one and a half day, I said yes to him knowing that he is not going to be in India, he is going to go abroad to study. So the bottom line was that I would also be leaving India. I just liked his honesty so much that I didn’t even think what am I doing. Everything fell in place.”
Shilpa also reflected on the contrast in their educational qualifications — her being a Class 10 dropout and her husband a double MBA — but said she never felt small or inferior in front of him. “I am a 10th fail. My husband is a banker. He is a double MBA and he is very well read and very different. I can talk to him and his colleagues about everything and the life that I have seen with him, I never felt small in front of him,” she said.
When asked if she got any film offers after her marriage, she said, “At that time, it wasn’t the space when women would get rules after marriage, so I don’t think anybody reached out to me, and I wasn’t such a big star also. I don’t think I was so popular that people wanted me to come back. People were also happy ki gayi toh gayi there are many others.” Shilpa admitted that moving abroad, navigating life without friends, and learning to live on a budget shaped her as a person.
