’90s Star Opens Up About Life in New Zealand, Hairdressing, and Becoming a Mom
Mumbai: Popular ’90s Bollywood actress Shilpa Shirodkar has shared heartfelt memories of her journey after stepping away from the limelight. In a recent appearance on Gauahar Khan’s podcast MaaaNoranjan, Shilpa spoke about life after films, her time abroad, and embracing motherhood.
Shilpa quit acting after her 2000 film Gaja Gamini. Soon after, she married banker Aparesh Ranjit. The couple moved to the Netherlands, and later settled in New Zealand.
Talking about her early years there, Shilpa said, “To keep myself busy, I did a hairdressing course in New Zealand.” She said the course was close to her heart because it reminded her of makeup and styling in films.
After finishing the course, she worked in a salon for two months. But the demanding work hours clashed with her new married life. “We were newly married. He had weekends off, and I had to work on weekends. We needed time together,” she said.
Wanting a change, she asked her husband to make her a resume. She told him to keep it honest—mentioning even that she had not cleared SSC (10th grade), and including her film work.
“To have fun, I applied for a few jobs and went for two interviews the same day,” she recalled. To her surprise, she got two job offers that very day. “Like in a movie, I came home with two appointment letters,” she said, smiling.
She accepted a job as a credit controller at Dun & Bradstreet. Life settled into a routine. But soon came another surprise.
One day, she felt constantly tired and complained to a friend about acidity. The friend suggested she take a pregnancy test. “I laughed, but I did it. When I saw two lines, I was shocked. My husband was waiting. I told him and he jumped with joy,” Shilpa said.
Pregnancy came with health challenges. “I had to take insulin three times a day. I lost 20 kilos. I smelled like cocoa butter all the time,” she laughed. “But it was the best pregnancy ever.”
She later gave birth to her daughter Anushka. Since then, she chose to be a full-time, hands-on mom.
Shilpa’s story is one of strength, love, and starting over. Away from the spotlight, she found peace and purpose in simple joys—family, motherhood, and a life well lived.
