Shilpa to star in West End musical

Bollywood actress and Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty is to take a starring role in a London musical, according to reports.

When Miss Bollywood opens in the West End in September, Shilpa will be playing a lead role and will follow the production to Broadway in New York, the Indian Express newspaper said.

"The whole song-and-dance routine of a musical really fascinates me and I think I'm a natural in the art," she was quoted as saying in the newspaper.

Miss Bollywood will amount to a full-scale translation of Indian traditional music, dance and theatre onto the London stage and will focus on a day in the life of a Bollywood actress.

Explaining her decision to sign up to the show, Shilpa said: "I want foreigners to get familiar with Indian culture. Racism breeds out of ignorance."

The 32-year-old actress may be better placed than many to comment on racism, having been subjected to bullying with alleged racial undertones during her time in the Big Brother house.

A furore was sparked by comments about Shilpa from fellow housemates Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd, which led to questions being asked in the House of Commons and incoming prime minister Gordon Brown being quizzed about racism in Britain by reporters while on a trip to India.

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