Bollywood closes ranks behind Shilpa Shetty

MUMBAI: Reacting strongly to alleged racist slurs against actress Shilpa Shetty on a UK reality TV show, leading Bollywood personalities on Wednesday said the incident was unfair and reflected a "deep-rooted malaise in society".

"The mask has finally come off from what otherwise is seen to be an evolved society. Those who dismiss this as aberrant behaviour are wrong. It reflects a deeper malaise in society and should be addressed," producer-director Mahesh Bhatt said.

When asked what advice he would give Shilpa, Bhatt said, "She should treat this as a game and move on. Anybody who has made it on her own in Bollywood is made of much sterner stuff. She is a tough girl and will get through it".

Director Ashok Pandit had a different take on the whole issue, saying the actress should walk out of the show instead of facing such humiliation.

"Racism is something that Indians have had to face for a long time and Shilpa should not take this kind of humiliation against the entire country. What is she sitting there and crying about? She should walk out of the show," Pandit said.

Director Tanuja Chandra felt the public anger following the incident was a good thing, but participants who allegedly made racist comments against Shilpa should not be overtly criticised.

"Participants on 'Celebrity Big Brother' are real people and real people are prejudiced. However, if there is a rally against racism because of this issue it would be the best service that a reality show has performed," Chandra said.