Over the last six months, Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra have repeatedly made headlines. From scam-related allegations to reports suggesting the shutdown of her upscale and much-loved restaurant brand Bastian, the couple has faced sustained public attention. However, in a recent interaction, Shilpa made it clear that the surrounding chatter has not shaken her resolve. She stressed that she has been closely and personally involved in shaping the brand and continues to believe strongly in the honesty of her work.Reflecting on the challenges of living under constant scrutiny, Shilpa spoke about how public life can sometimes invite negativity, yet she chooses to stay grounded. “It’s a very difficult path to constantly be in the public eye. And there is something called “nazar”, we always discuss it. When you’re constantly being discussed and talked about, it’s such a competitive field, and people can go to any lengths, unfortunately. We’re not that sort. I’m of the belief that there’s enough room for everyone to succeed,” she said in an interview with Curly Tales.
When asked whether the recent wave of coverage has affected her emotionally, Shilpa admitted that it does, but she has learned to manage it. “It’s sad. I believe we’ve always stood our ground. As a company and as people, we’re known for our integrity. Like you asked me previously, does it hurt you? How do you deal with it? I’m human. There are many times I sit and think, why aren’t we talking about the good stuff? Why is it that we’re only picking on these things? But I think as a celebrity, the unfortunate part is that my name has become like clickbait. So I’ve taken it in my stride.”She added that trust and credibility ultimately matter most to audiences, which is why the business continues to perform well. “But people are very smart. They know how to segregate right from wrong. And we’re still thriving, we’re working, and the brand is working because it appeals to them. We’re giving them what they want.”Shilpa also explained why she chose to break her usual silence and address speculation online about Bastian’s alleged closure. Normally, she avoids responding to rumours, but this time, the issue went beyond her personal image. “I’ve never sought to explain because I believe as an actor or a celebrity, you should never complain, never explain. So I maintained stoic silence. But this time it was about a brand, a brand we’ve put so much love, passion, and effort into. There was something in the offing, and it wasn’t the right time for me to announce it. But I had to take to social media. And the PR we gained out of it, people thought it was bad PR, but you can’t build that kind of PR, for the love of money. We actually got that PR organically.”Seated beside her during the interview was Ranjit Bindra, the original founder of the brand, who brushed off concerns about negative publicity with humour. “Not at all. Any kind of publicity is good publicity.” Shilpa echoed the sentiment, adding, “Even in negative PR, there’s always a positive takeaway because we’re both very positive in terms of our mindset.”Earlier in the conversation, Shilpa also revisited her first encounter with Bastian—not as a business partner, but as a diner in 2016. That visit would eventually lay the foundation for a lasting collaboration. “I am so happy Ranjit and I met. I met him in Bastian when I came there as a customer in 2016. That’s when we started talking, and he told me he was opening another outlet in Worli, which also went on to become an iconic place. But I want to share the story behind it, I was not convinced at all because that location was just a barren space back then. He was simply convinced that he would turn it into a top-running restaurant. We opened during Covid, but that’s where the brand Bastian truly took shape. Today, we have eight restaurants across four different brands under Bastian.”
