Shilpa to star in British musical

Having wowed global audiences with her anti-racism stand on Britain's Celebrity Big Brother, Shilpa Shetty is all set to hit higher notes with an Indian musical in that country.

"I'm going to be in an Indian musical on the lines of (Andrew Lloyd Webber's) Bollywood Dreams. Though it will be Bollywood in spirit, it will completely cater to Western sensibilities. It's a hugely ambitious musical and I'm very excited," Shilpa told IANS.

"I always wanted to do something like Moulin Rouge or Chicago. This is my chance," the leggy starlet added.

Farhat Hussein, who organises Bollywood concerts in Britain, plans to produce the musical.

"Farhat has very big ambitions for the musical. And if it all goes well, it will be the biggest staged extravaganza ever featuring someone from the Mumbai film industry. My schedules are being worked out. But I plan to do it for three months in England, and may be then take it to the US and Australia," said Shilpa.

"Bollywood is so 'in' right now. Post-Big Brother, this entire ethnic culture has created such an intrigue all over the world. And Bollywood Dreams did so well so many years ago. The appetite for Bollywood in the West has only increased," she added.

"There are numerous projects on the anvil, including a British film and an Indian film from a very reputed company. But that Bill Bannerman film (as rumoured) never came to me. And I doubt it went to Ash (Aishwarya Rai) either.

"People just presumed we got the offers because may be we're the names that immediately come to mind. I'm very happy for Mallika (Sherawat), and I feel she got the role because she was suited and deserved it. Please don't make it seem as if she was pitted against us," Shilpa said.

The Baazigar actress also wants to pick her roles with great care.

"As for me, there's the question of whether I'd want to do such a role or not. There're certain compromises I'd never make. I've never made them, so why should I do so now? So whether it's Hollywood or British films, they have to fit into my scheme of morality. It's very easy for me to sign lucrative deals out here. But I want to make money on my own terms," she added.

Shilpa attended the Liz-Hurley-Arun Nayar wedding in India earlier this month.

"When I went back to London after the wedding, I was horrified when a journalist asked me if Liz tried to hitch me up with Imran Khan. It's such a frivolous question. I mean, just because Imran is Jemima's ex and Liz is Hugh Grant's ex, does it mean we'll come together? Sounds weird, doesn't it?"

Right now Shilpa's mind is firmly on the musical.

"After Big Brother, I was constantly asked about which films and endorsements I was doing. Those are fine. But I was looking at expanding my horizon, going to another level. This musical gives me a chance to do something I always wanted to do," she said.