Hello hello everyone,

I know it’s been a long time but I have surfaced at last! Back to reality, the last couple weeks felt like a dream:) from the sunny Bahamas back in London for the last couple days and was greeted with snow, yippee! Looks like it will be a white Christmas after all:) 

I absolutely love the Christmas spirit around this time, lights on the streets, decorating the Christmas tree and placing gifts under it, my nephews and nieces writing out their never ending gift list to ‘Santa’ (so cute), the joy of all families getting together and doing carvery dinners and Oh how can I forget the Christmas sales ha ha!! Just love it all. There’s no place like London when it comes to celebrating Christmas. Really excited about the Mediterranean cruise we are taking with the family, my first ever making it even more special. Will be out at sea for the next two weeks so wont be able to communicate. Will be bringing in New year on the ship but will give the you guys the lowdown once am back as always .So here’s wishing everyone a merry Christmas and a fantastic love filled, healthy and prosperous New Year ahead. Love and duaas always…

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Yes it’s all done and I am officially Shilpa Shetty Kundra now!! So glad all went well, everyone’s prayers were heard and my dad made it (miraculously) on time for my wedding with god’s grace. Loved every bit of the wedding but the “bidaai” - I am sure it is difficult for every girl, so it was no different for me. (Sigh) Anyways moving on, the wedding and sangeet was a private affair but the reception was thrown for all my friends from the fraternity and friends of both the families… God it was a never ending list of people…ALL  the people I had been associated with in the last 18 years (even then I had missed out on some names, for which I feel terrible about) I had no idea I knew soooooo many people and I’ve never smiled continuously for soooooo many hours!!! Felt like I slept with a hanger in my mouth haha! But on a serious note I’m truly touched by all those special people who took out the time to come and bless us and give us their good wishes. Could barely spend a minute with each one of them, but it still meant so much to see them.

It’s been a long week and it’s taken a day and a half to recover from the reception phew! Now I know why couples go on a honeymoon…cause they really need a break after all this looking forward to mine in the Bahamas. At Tirupati now - come to seek blessings as I have a lot of faith in Lord Balaji, come to thank him for showering me with so much…Heading to the Oneness university tomorrow to meet my gurus Amma and Bhagwan who have been my guiding light. Last but not the least I’d like to thank each and every one for your heart felt wishes and feel so blessed to know that you care.

Please excuse me for the next two weeks cause my henna filled hands and feet need a rest and I’ve promised my husband (I like the sound of that) some “ME” time. Will write soon but you guys please keep writing as I promise to read.

Signing off

Shilpa Shetty Kundra

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I know this has become a pattern to start my blog with an apology, so keeping up with the tradition I apologise yet another time…I’m so sorry for not blogging as my life has been turned upside down,inside out in the past week as the marriage is nearing,so hope you understand.Can’t tell you how overjoyed I am - glad to see shamita back I spent every minute I could in the midst of my chaotic life to bond with her and make up for all the lost time. All is in order, friends and family have got together to put up a very sweet skit… a lot of surprises, effort, excitment and above all just the sheer pleasure of seeing everyone do it from their heart. A comical musical, choreographed and directed by long time friend Ganesh Hegde. Its hilarious to see family act and dance!hahaha Anyway amongst all the trials (umpteen trousseau outfits and jewellery) there comes tribulations. My father in the midst of all this wedding preparation was not feeling too well and had high temperature. After much coaxing we asked him to get a blood test done and much to our chagrin he tested positive for not one but two types of malaria!! (yeah! you read that right) we had to rush him to the ICU late last night as they kept him under observation. So the whole family was under a lot of stress considering we were all meant to leave for khandala the next day and didnt know how to take things forward. The good news is that he’s recuperating pretty well and is out of the ICU now with mom by his side. As per schedule Shamita and I headed to khandala today so here we are because that’s what Dad wanted, as the mehendi and sangeet happen on 21st and the wedding happens on 22nd. I don’t know how to put my feelings in words…this is a day that my family and I have waited for….its all happening so fast only wish dad and mom could’ve been a part of every moment.Like my mom says what cannot be cured must be endured! So the last 24 hours have been quite trying but on a positive note I’m glad we got to know of dad’s illness 2 days earlier as now he can atleast be there for the wedding and do the kanyadaan hoping and praying that he gets well soon cause there’s nothing that works like prayers. Settin off for my mehendi now. Thanks for all the best wishes from family and friends… will write to you very soon.. .as Shilpa Shetty Kundra THIS IS IT!

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Firstly terribly apologetic for not blogging so often. It’s been a crazy few weeks, I’ll explain why later. Landed in Hyderabad to shoot the last schedule of Desire day before yesterday. It’s a film I’m so looking forward to as a lot of effort has gone into it’s making and a different genre for me to experiment with as well… Anyway coming to why I’m actually writing today, I have some great news to share with you, as promised I would personally give you the good news… So here it is — This is it, YES, THE WEDDING DATES ARE FINAL and celebrations begin from the 21st November with the Wedding on the 22nd and the Reception on the 24th. PHEW! Okay, I said it. So these are the real dates (now the press can stop speculating). The last two weeks have only gone into preparations. It was a huge decision and there were a lot of logistical problems mainly because of lack of time and venues… Now all that’s in order, I can breathe a sigh of relief. The past week has been full of meetings, meetings and more meetings, since I’m shooting in Hyderabad, everything had to be done before I’d left for this schedule. In the midst of Odissi rehearsals (can you believe it! ‘cause I am shooting for a song here, ha ha! ), guests list, hotel arrangements, wedding planners, trousseau outfits, the list is never ending. There’s a lot of work to be done and I will be shooting and dubbing till a week before the wedding. Got to finish all work commitments before I leave for a month after the wedding. C’est la vie! To all those who want to know how I am feeling, I just want to say – I’m going through a lot of mixed feelings – happiness, excitement, nervousness, just like any bride to be and sadness as well, I miss my sister and hoping that she’ll be out soon in my last few days at home. My parents are ecstatic and doing everything to make things perfect on my special day, absolutely adore them! Honestly it still hasn’t sunk in completely, it’s a strange emotion, can’t describe it… The only consolation is that I’m tying the knot with “Raj” – a man who lets me be myself and doesn’t want me or my life to change, that erases premarital jitters. Obviously marriage is a huge step and with it comes responsibilities, and since I believe in the institution, so I hope and pray that I can make “ours” a success. Thank you so much for all your best wishes. I’ve overcome and survived all hurdles with your good wishes and God’s blessings. Will keep you posted. Pray for me because I am on the threshold of a new beginning. So just two weeks to go, the countdown begins!! Love to you all!

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Tring Tring wearing the “RING” – Yes its official – I am engaged. I wanted it to happen first and then blog which is why I’ve been maintaining a silence. But the press always beats me to it! The media attention can sometimes get to you, but have to admit that they looked more excited than my parents and some looked genuinely happy which was very endearing. If this was the reaction for the engagement, I am dreading the wedding. Ha ha! It’s been a time of both - joy and sorrow for me, the joy is obvious because Raj and I feel happy to take our relationship to the next level, but as most of you know my sister Shamita is still in the Big Boss house and could not attend. She doesn’t even know. The date was decided a week ago and we all came to the consensus that we should go ahead because another good mahurat (auspicious time) was a long way off – and considering Raj’s parents and relatives were down from London for a week… so it seemed convenient as I leave after a week to shoot for “Desire” to complete the film in Hyderabad. Raj leaves for the IPL workshop in Bangkok which I’ll miss because of my shoot – Hence we thought it best to go ahead with this date under these circumstances.

As much as I wanted to have Shamita there during this special moment, I had to be considerate towards Raj’s family too… so for all those who wanted to know WHY I went ahead without Shamita – it was a difficult decision but this is the answer. I know Shamita will be shocked (she’ll kill me) but still be happy, that’s what family is about, and our LOVE is unconditional. Missed her more than words can describe but I’m sure she’ll understand! Can’t wait to show her my ring!! Didn’t have the heart to get her out as she’s doing so well in Big Boss! I’ve never commented on what I think of her in there, but just want to say she’s been the pampered baby in our house, it made our whole family so proud to see her have no airs and do all the chores with no qualms. She’s never cooked in her life and I saw her make ROTIS!! Felt terrible watching her cry on TV, but I am amazed to see her growth on this show, this will definitely make her a stronger person. Speaking out of experience I know how difficult living in the BB house is!  But so proud of the way she’s conducting herself with so much dignity.

Anyway the engagement was strictly a family affair – just his and my family and two of my friends – kept it simple and traditional. A lot of people asked me if I was nervous - I guess I would have been if I wasnt sure. But I have to admit I had a sinking feeling in my stomach just when I was reaching Raj’s house, but as soon as I saw Raj’s face, I had a smile on mine. PHEW!

I know everyone’s eager to know about the wedding date. All I can say is YES it’s been finalized and will make an official announcement as soon as I know when Shamita’s coming out!
To all my relatives, friends and fans – thank you for all your good wishes. Need them badly . Can’t wait to tell you when the big day is as I’ve promised, will definitely keep you posted on my blog – so till then watch this space!! Love to all

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Pictures from Agra & Jaipur trip as promised! Enjoy!!

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It’s been a long day as you know Jermaine (J) and Halima, my dear friends are in town and they expressed their desire to see more of India. So Raj and I put an itinerary together with pride and set to show them one of the wonders of the world – the TAJ MAHAL! Landed in Agra in the morning, had lunch (yummy) at Amarvilas and took a Tonga (horse carriage – J was thrilled) to reach there. And low and behold – when we set eyes on this monument of true eternal love, our hearts skipped a beat! Gosh the beauty and workmanship is breathtaking! Can just keep going on and on, but moving on… after which we went straight to the airport to come to Jaipur, staying at the Rambagh Palace, one of the most beautiful properties here – I just love coming to Jaipur, it makes me feel at home, maybe it’s the Rajasthan (Royal) connection. J Wanted them to experience the rich culture, food and rustic ethos of this place. Got a long day tomorrow, got to show them the beauty of India before we leave tomorrow evening.

By the way adding one more minute of fame to Mr. Hirani who has got his 5 minutes of fame in London by claiming he’s “SUING ME!” when the fact of the matter is this is a dispute he had with the V8 Group, before I’d even joined the group. Not willing to waste any more time on this and this is my reaction to all those false accusations. So you’ve heard it from the horse’s mouth!

Back to more important things in life, got to brush my teeth before I sleep, ha ha – it’s been great catching up with my old friends here. Having the time of my life – As always will post the pictures of this memorable trip soon. Keep writing in – love reading what you have to say!! J

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Pictures from Maldives holiday, as promised!!!

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Ok! It’s out, my sister Shamita is in the Big Boss house. Strange as it might sound, it’s the truth. Took the next flight to Bombay from London when she told me she was going in, I scurried to spend the last two days before she left, tried to dissuade her; considering she’ll be away for 3 months if she lasts! Can’t describe how difficult our last goodbye was; now I know what she went through when I left 3 years ago to be part of Big Brother. We are very close so it was heartbreaking. But I’ll get to see her everyday if that’s any consolation. She obviously had her reasons to take part, felt it was a gr8 opportunity to test herself and her level of patience. Must say she’s been very brave ‘cause trust me, it takes a lot of gumption considering she’s an introvert and very private, but nevertheless friendly… was heartening to see her on stage with Amitji, got emotional especially when I saw her touch his feet seeking his blessings… miss her already… (I’ve dialed her twice by mistake in the day so it’s gonna be hard.) Phew! Before I left from London, I bumped into Cleo Rocco, an ex-housemate from BB, at a restaurant. On the other hand I met Jermaine Jackson and Halima his wife, after nearly 3 years, strange timing of coincidences… My sister going into BB and meeting my ex Big Brother housemate on the same day! Hmmm! (trying to figure out the uncanny connection) So we celebrated it over dinner at my place, watching TV (my sister entering BB) caught up on old times, got nostalgic over our experiences in the BB house, it had been so long but we picked up from where we left, one thing being constant - our friendship, so was happy on that front.

Also have to mention I enjoyed watching AMITJI on TV again. I had missed him, and as usual he’s doing a gr8 job! His Panache is unmatched. Looking forward to every episode with bated breath, obviously I have a bias, to see this mix of people will be interesting to watch. (entertaining ) ALAS! MISS saying “Chakkar pe chakkar, Pange pe panga, Dekhte rahiye Big Boss, cause yeh hai sabse changa!” Ha ha, my closing line when I used to host it… Will miss being part of this season but am sure that one Shetty in the House will more than make up for me Sure this experience will be a learning curve… that’s when it struck me not to analyze the sequence of events in my life because they’ve all been for a reason… the best! That’s when I came to the conclusion about the BB connection in my life… it’s given me so much, Friendship (Cleo, Jermaine and me in Big Brother), Love (that’s how I met Raj, long story another time) confidence, success and much more That was that! Never question what the Lord has planned - he knows best, just tread the path he paves and only good will come out.

So on that note the Tradition continues… hoping Shamita braves the storm… we’ll be watching…!!

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Hello hello! Maldives was fun, I completely recommend it if you want to visit heaven on earth, breathe the purest air and be alive again! Had the greatest time with family and dear friends, will put some pictures up soon In London now on work, regarding my new Curry project that should be out at the end of the year. Was shooting for a really fun show yesterday called ‘Something for the Weekend’ with Tim Lovejoy… did some cooking with Simon, made a delicious pudding but couldnt eat it, due to the Navratri fast. I observe this is the only time in the year that I turn vegetarian for the whole 9 days and fast on the last. It’s difficult especially since I travel so much and to top it all am such a sea foodie! Anyway, there seems to be a delay in Sunny’s film schedule yet again! But that gives me a chance to do all my other work Reading scripts for my home production, and working on my Ghatkopar center for my Medispa and thrilled to announce the opening of IOSIS Medispa in Jalandhar. Kiran and I are very excited - it’s our first franchise out of town. So lots happening and lots to tell you, will definitely tell you guys about something exciting happening, once things are finalised as I always do. So watch this space!! Keep in touch and thanks for all those beautiful messages. Love you all, its your love that keeps me going!

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