Pune: From singing covers on YouTube to performing live at concerts and now making her acting debut in the Hindi film Nikamma, 24-year-old Shirley Setia has come a long way. But she feels ‘it’s just the beginning’.
“There’s so much to do and explore in life. I am glad that the Indian entertainment industry accepted me and welcomed with open arms. I agree it was not easy for me to become an online sensation…there was a lot of hard work involved, but still there is a long way to go. I have so much to learn and experience. My real journey has just started,” Shirley stated on the sidelines of a musical event here.
Shilrey was a little kid when she had to leave India and move to New Zealand with her family. She actually rose to fame in 2013 after she won a competition organised by T-Series. She recorded the popular Hindi song ‘Tum Hi Ho’ that gathered a lot of views on YouTube. And when she was 21, she came back to her roots to make a name for herself here.
On bagging the acting project, Shirley expressed her happiness and shared her experience working with co-star Shilpa Shetty Kundra.
“You know it feels blessed to work with such talented artistes. Shilpa ma’am made me comfortable a lot. She taught me so many things – especially how to remain fit. I am really excited for my debut film,” she quipped. “I owe it to Shilpa madam,” Shirley added.
Directed by Sabbir Khan, Nikamma also features Abhimanyu Dassani, who is actress Bhagyashree’s son. The film will release June 5.
Agencies