Bollywood was up in arms on Wednesday about what it called the racist bullying of film star Shilpa Shetty on British TV show “Celebrity Big Brother” as India’s foreign ministry said it was probing the accusations.Almost 10,000 British viewers of the show have complained that Shetty, 31, had been subjected to racist abuse, prompting an investigation into the charges by British media watchdog Ofcom.
“What is happening on Big Brother is just holding the mirror to the western society,” leading Bollywood film maker Mahesh Bhatt told Reuters. “This is the real, discriminating face of the West you can see on the streets of London or New York,” he said.
Many Bollywood actors and directors told Reuters they hadn’t watched the show, but expressed shock and anger at the “blatant insult and humiliation” of Shetty by her housemates. Some said she should even quit the show.
“Racism is part of the West’s social attitude that is difficult to change,” said director Shyam Benegal.
Contestants have been shown making fun of Shetty’s name, her eating habits and Indian background. The A-list Bollywood actress was called a “dog” and reduced to tears in the “Big Brother” house, a complex of rooms and a garden where participants are locked in for the duration of the show.
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