Govt begins to play Big Brother for Shilpa Shetty

Though it was “a matter between an individual actress and private TV channel’’ which “does not in any way involve the government’s accountability”, Dasmunsi said the government had to take note as the Mumbai film industry was rather concerned about Shetty’s welfare. He also urged the actor to “get in touch with the Indian High Commision and give them her side of the story” so that they could help “if need be”.

Not just that. Henceforth, Dasmunsi said, actors on foreign assignments “should inform the government” and also the Indian High Commissions/embassies on reaching foreign shores so that not only the “Bharatiya nari’s samman” is safe, the country is also saved from “unnecessary embarrassment.”

Shetty, herself, is unaware of this transnational agony.

Perched on the golden couch and with no contact with the outside world, she described her experience in the Big Brother house as “very, very difficult — a kind of roller-coaster ride”. She said she thought it would be a learning experience and a cultural give-and-take.

But it’s still not clear who’s doing the giving and the taking.

Some believe that Shilpa, who is said to have been paid Rs 3.5 crore for the role, is too clever for some of the B-grade British celebrities. When the old Ken Russell was feeling cold at night, she wrapped him with an extra blanket. Her rivals laughed at the altruism but the audience saw in her a caring young lady. Again, as a victim of racial slur, she shed tears and, in return, won millions of hearts.

“She knows what she is doing. She will shred the nerves of all the other women in that house until even Cleo pulls back her frozen lips and shows the fangs behind her witless Mona Lisa smile”, wrote the feminist Germaine Greer, who herself controversially walked out of the Celebrity Big Brother in 2005, complaining of bullying.

Shilpa’s housemates Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara ganged up against the Bollywood actor and made fun of Shilpa’s accent. They were not prepared to pronounce her name and were reluctant to eat food cooked by her. They described her a “Paki bird” and called her a “dog.” Classic reality TV. An amused Asian woman put it best: “Don’t the British know what a female dog is called?”

Meanwhile, the folks at Channel 4 have little reason to agonise. The controversy has done wonders to what was until now a literally fading show. It drew its third largest audience of the series on Tuesday night. Its evening highlights averaged 4.5 million viewers, up from 3.9 million last Tuesday. In the first week, Shetty was often shown lurking in the distant background. Now she was being regularly captured in the big close-up.

Show sponsors Carphone Warehouse denied earlier reports that they were about to withdraw their support. A company spokesperson said: “We are against racism in any shape or form and have full faith in Channel 4 and that they will deal with any serious allegations such as this in the appropriate way.”

Earlier, Channel 4 dismissed the controversy as “girly rivalry” but as complaints flooded, a record 16,500 so far, they promised to root out the bad behaviour. “Big Brother does not tolerate bullying or racist abuse in any form. Big Brother is closely monitoring all the housemates and will take appropriate measures to reprimand such behaviour where necessary.”

But that did not satisfy the veteran Asian MP Keith Vaz. “We would not tolerate that kind of racism on other types of programme”, he argued. He put up an early day motion in the parliament after being contacted by his angry constituents. Today, Prime Minister Question Hour began with Vaz asking Tony Blair what he has to say about the racist abuse shown in a programme keenly watched by a young audience. Blair was polite: he said although he had not watched the programme, he endorsed the issue raised by Vaz.

The controversy comes just when Chancellor Gordon Brown’s visit to India begins. Brown, who is due to succeed Blair later this year, said: “I want Britain to be seen as a country of fairness and tolerance. Anything detracting from this I condemn.” And from Delhi, BBC ‘s political editor Nick Robinson ruled: “Diplomats here in India say the row is damaging Britain’s reputation.”

For Shilpa Shetty, meanwhile, the cameras are rolling.
— with Santwana Bhattacharya