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Actor Shilpa Shirodkar, who rose to fame with a string of hits in the 1990s, recently shared a bizarre and unsettling memory from her early years in Bollywood. In a conversation with Pinkvilla, Shilpa recalled being at the centre of a shocking rumour that claimed she had been killed — a rumour so widely circulated it even found its way into a newspaper headline.

The incident occurred while she was filming Raghuveer in the picturesque locales of Kullu Manali. At the time, Shilpa was working alongside Suniel Shetty, unaware that news of her "death" had already begun circulating.

“There were headlines that read: Shilpa Shirodkar was shot dead”

“I was in Kullu Manali. My dad was trying to call the hotel because we didn’t have mobile phones at that time. I was shooting with Suniel Shetty there. Everyone who was watching the shoot there kept thinking if this is Shilpa or someone else because they knew the news. The people who were seeing the shoot were confused whether it was really me because they knew the news,” she said.

Shilpa went on to describe how the news caused panic back home. “So, when I came back to the room, there were around 20-25 missed calls from my father. My parents were worried; there was a headline in a newspaper that read, ‘Shilpa Shirodkar was shot dead.’ Then I was told it was for a film's promotion, I was like 'Okay'. Yes, thoda zyada hogaya (This went too far). There was no PR activity or anything at that time. Kuch pata hi nahi tha na (I was not aware of anything). I was the last one to know that something like this was going to happen. No one used to take permission at that time. The film worked well, so I wasn't really angry.”

Directed by K Pappu, Raghuveer released in 1995 and featured a star-studded cast including Suniel Shetty, Sudha Chandran, and Suresh Oberoi. The film earned over ₹6 crore globally and was considered a modest box office success.

About Shilpa Shirodkar

Shilpa Shirodkar, who made her debut in Ramesh Sippy’s Bhrashtachar in 1989, starred opposite Mithun Chakraborty and Rekha, portraying a blind character. She quickly became a prominent face in Hindi cinema, with memorable roles in Khuda Gawah, Aankhen, Pehchaan, Gopi Kishan, Bewafa Sanam, and Mrityudand.

Her last big-screen appearance was in Gajagamini (2000), after which she took a break from films. Shilpa later made a return to the spotlight through television, appearing in a handful of shows post-2013. Earlier this year, she was seen as a participant in Bigg Boss 18, hosted by Salman Khan.