Shamita Shetty: Biography, Age, Career, Personal Life & Recent Updates
Shamita Shetty is an Indian actress, model and interior designer best known for her Bollywood debut in Mohabbatein (2000), her runner-up finish on Bigg Boss 15 (2022), and her work as a founder of the Mumbai-based studio Golden Leaf Interiors. The younger sister of actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Shamita has built a parallel career in films, reality television and interior design over more than two decades and remains one of Bollywood's most recognisable second-generation Shetty stars.
Quick bio
| Full name | Shamita Shetty |
| Date of birth | 2 February 1979 |
| Age (May 2026) | 47 |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Place of birth | Mangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Profession | Actress, model, interior designer |
| Mother tongue | Tulu (also fluent in Kannada and Hindi) |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Height | 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) |
| Eye / hair colour | Brown / Black |
| Education | B.Com from Sydenham College, Mumbai; diploma in fashion design (SNDT Women's University); design programmes at Central Saint Martins and the Inchbald School of Design, London |
| School | St Anthony's Girls' High School, Mumbai |
| Father | Surendra Shetty (1939–2018) |
| Mother | Sunanda Shetty |
| Sister | Shilpa Shetty Kundra (actress) |
| Marital status | Single (engagement to Raqesh Bapat called off in 2022) |
| Residence | Mumbai, India |
| @shamitashetty_official |
Early life and family
Shamita Shetty was born on 2 February 1979 in Mangalore, Karnataka, into a Tulu-speaking Bunt family. Her father, the late Surendra Shetty (1939–2018), ran a business that manufactured tamper-proof water caps for the pharmaceutical industry; he passed away on 11 October 2018 after a cardiac arrest. Her mother, Sunanda Shetty, has remained a quietly visible figure at family events. Shamita is the younger sister of actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra. The Shetty sisters spent their early childhood in Bangalore before the family relocated to Mumbai, where Shamita has lived ever since.
Education
Shamita attended St Anthony's Girls' High School in Mumbai and then completed her Bachelor of Commerce at Sydenham College. Drawn to design from an early age, she went on to pursue a diploma in fashion designing at SNDT Women's University, Mumbai — the qualification that would eventually pull her into both fashion and acting.
Acting career
After her diploma, Shamita interned with celebrated designer Manish Malhotra, who first suggested she try acting. She made her Bollywood debut at 21 in Yash Raj Films' Mohabbatein (2000), directed by Aditya Chopra, playing Ishika opposite Jugal Hansraj. The role won her the IIFA Award for Star Debut (female) in 2001.
Through the early 2000s she became known for hit dance numbers — "Sharara Sharara" in Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002) and "Chori Pe Chori" in Saathiya (2002) — before earning critical praise for her performance in the thriller Zeher (2005), for which she was nominated at the Stardust Awards. Other notable credits include Fareb (2005, alongside her sister Shilpa), Bewafaa (2005), Cash (2007), Mohabbat Ho Gayi Hai Tumse, Wajahh: A Reason to Kill, the Tamil film Naan Aval Adhu and the comedy Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors. After a long gap, she returned to the big screen in the indie thriller The Tenant (2019) and made a high-profile family-comedy comeback in Aankh Micholi (2023) opposite Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal and Sharman Joshi.
Television and reality TV
Even after stepping back from regular film work, Shamita has stayed in front of the camera through reality television. She was a contestant on Bigg Boss 3 (2009), where she lasted six weeks before voluntarily leaving to attend her sister Shilpa's wedding to Raj Kundra; notably, she was never nominated during her stay. She went on to dance on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4 and starred in the Voot mini-series Yo Ke Hua Bro (2017).
In 2019 she reached the finale of Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 9, and in 2021 she became one of the breakout stars of Bigg Boss OTT, finishing as a finalist on the digital season. Carrying the OTT momentum into the main show, she went on to become the runner-up of Bigg Boss 15 in January 2022, behind winner Tejasswi Prakash — her highest-profile television outing to date.
Interior design career
Design has always been Shamita's parallel passion. In 2011 she stepped away from full-time acting to focus on it, launching her first solo project — the Mumbai club Royalty — and later founding her own studio, Golden Leaf Interiors. To sharpen her practice she studied at Central Saint Martins and the Inchbald School of Design in London. Her portfolio includes the Iosis Spa in Chandigarh, for which she won the Best Interior award at the Asia Spa Awards.
Personal life and relationships
Shamita has historically kept her personal life out of the spotlight. Early in her career she was briefly linked to actor Harman Baweja, but the relationship ended quietly. In 2021, while on Bigg Boss OTT, she formed a high-profile bond with actor Raqesh Bapat; the two were widely reported to be engaged in 2022 before announcing their separation later that year. She has remained single since.
In interviews she has consistently said she will not marry "just for the sake of it" — describing trust, respect and friendship as the foundations of a relationship she would actually commit to. She continues to live in Mumbai and remains close to her sister Shilpa, brother-in-law Raj Kundra, and their children.
Recent highlights (2025–2026)
Through 2025 and 2026, Shamita has been one of the most visible second-generation Shetty stars on social media. She regularly shares editorial-style portraits on Instagram, has been spotted at Mumbai fashion weeks in saris styled by The Wise Design and Akanksha Mago Label, and continues to balance interior-design commissions with brand collaborations. She remains active on the festival circuit alongside her sister Shilpa and her niece Samisha and nephew Viaan.
Lesser-known facts about Shamita Shetty
- She is fluent in English, Hindi and her mother tongue Tulu, and also speaks Kannada.
- She is a long-time yoga practitioner — a discipline she shares with her sister Shilpa, who is one of India's best-known yoga ambassadors.
- She is a devotee of Lord Shiva and observes Maha Shivratri every year.
- She trained in dance under noted Bollywood choreographer Sharman Dawar.
- Estimates of her net worth in 2025–2026 generally place her around the ₹30–35 crore mark, drawing on acting, brand endorsements and her interior-design studio.
- Past brand associations include Pantene (alongside Shilpa), Audi, Aldo and IIJS jewellery campaigns.
- She has spoken about coping with her father's death in 2018 as the most difficult chapter of her life and credits her family and therapy for helping her through it.
- Egypt is her favourite travel destination; she has visited multiple times.
- She does not smoke. She is not a regular drinker.