Nepal's film industry and media rejoiced at Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty's
victory on British reality show "Celebrity Big Brother", stressing
that art should have no boundaries of race, colour or religion.
Nepal keenly followed the furore that erupted over Channel 4's reality
show after three British contestants made racial remarks about Shilpa,
triggering outrage in India as well as Britain.
When the final results came Monday and Shilpa won most of the telephone
votes, thereby bagging the prize money of about 100,000 pounds, the
news was covered by most of Nepal's media.
"Shilpa wins Celebrity Big Brother," the Himalayan Times
daily said Tuesday. Even the conservative state-run daily, the Rising
Nepal, covered the contest as well as Shilpa's plans to enter Hollywood.
"It is certainly an achievement," said Nepali film director
Gyanendra Deuja, whose film "Muna-Madan" was the kingdom's
entry for the Oscar for the best foreign film in 2004.
"The new generation of actors coming up in Bollywood have education
and spunk and have proved they are as talented as Hollywood artistes."
Deuja said the controversy over the racist slurs against Shilpa had
been discussed in Kollywood - Nepal's film industry - by people who
had watched the programme, as well as its Indian avatar "Bigg Boss".
"It is most unfortunate," Deuja said. "Art has no race
or boundary. We are not Nepalis or Pakistanis or Indians. An artiste
remains an artiste."
Kash Adhikari, another Nepali directors whose film "Krodh"
is running to packed theatres, said Kollywood was happy at the victory
of an artiste from its neighbourhood.
"We Asians are like one family and India is very close to us because
besides being an immediate neighbour, Bollywood films are very popular
in Nepal," said Adhikari.
"So when someone from Asia wins a European award, we rejoice in
it. The times are changing. People no longer think in terms of black
and white people, we are all human beings.
"I think the racist remarks were more prompted by jealousy because
of Shilpa's poise and background, and the fear that she could win."
However, Adhikari said he had reservations about the show that stripped
the contestants of privacy.
"One shouldn't take part in a programme only for the money, not
paying heed to what it entails," he said.
"Money is not every thing. Self-respect is very important. What
did Shilpa lack that she had to take part in such a show?"
