Effigies of Big Brother producers burned in protest
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Fans of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty took to the streets today to protest against the alleged mistreatment she has endured on Celebrity Big Brother.
Reports of the mistreatment meted out by one of Shetty's co-stars - who has called her cooking untrustworthy, mocked her accent and complained about her ``screeching'' - were front page news in India, prompting about 25 people, most of them men, to march down a street in Patna, an eastern Indian city, chanting ``Down with Big Brother.''
The protesters, who said they were part of the Shilpa Shetty Fans Association, managed to burn the effigy - nothing more than straw and paper covered by a white cloth - before being dispersed by police.
In New Delhi, India's capital, the anger over Shetty's situation took a more subdued form with an official saying the government planned to lodge a protest about the matter with British authorities.
``We are awaiting a report about the show. The government will take appropriate measures once it gets to know the full details,'' said Anand Sharma, India's junior minister for external affairs.
``Racism has no place in civilised society,'' he told journalists.
Shetty, 31, has been repeatedly reduced to tears by a fellow contestant, and newspapers in India reported Wednesday that tens of thousands of Indians have sent e-mails to the show's broadcaster, Channel 4, complaining about alleged racist remarks.
The surge in complaints swelled after an episode in which another contestant said Indians were thin because they undercooked their food.
Shetty's family today said in a statement that they were ``overwhelmed and touched'' by the support shown for Shilpa in India and around the world.
``Shilpa is a strong individual who continues to make us proud every day,'' the statement said.
Shetty, a former model, has acted in more than 40 romantic movies since her 1993 debut.
While she has flirted with true stardom in India, most consider her a B-level celebrity.
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