Miss Zee TV South Africa 2015, Shilpa travelled to India on 20th of Feb 2016 for her chance to make her mark in the entertainment industry. She underwent grooming and training for a month at the Zee TV Head Quarters in Mumbai leading up to her auditions for her place in the Zee Global Talent Team. Shilpa got to experience the glamour first hand upon her landing as she attended the 2016 Zee Cine Awards. Since her audition, Shilpa has been offered a 3 year contract with the Zee Global Talent team. Zee TV Africa is extremely proud of our Golden girl.
This bright eyed 20 year old was handpicked by the Zee TV Africa Team as the winner of the Miss Zee TV South Africa title in the Miss India South Africa 2015 pageant.
Shilpa is a Shotokan Karate expert who lives in Balfour, Mpumalanga, is also something of a linguist and speaks, Zulu, Sotho, Afrikaans and English. She is now undergoing Hindi lessons. Zee TV commits to create awareness of Indian content for a global impact and to promote opportunities for youth to excel while instilling a culture of team-work, leadership and self-determination.
“I was in grade 8 when I joined the local dojo. My father also did karate during his time and he knew the importance of it and allowed me to enrol. I hope that I will be able to demonstrate some of my skills on stage, provided by Zee TV.” says Shilpa
“The Zee TV Africa team is happy to provide this wonderful opportunity to Shilpa. She is a true representative of the talent we have here in Africa. We wish her all the best”, says Harish Goyal, Zee TV Africa CEO.
We had a sit down with Shilpa recently and this is what she had to say:
What sort of grooming and training did you undergo?
“When I came here, a part of me thought, ‘I got this’. But after all the training I received, today I can say that I have learned more than words can express. I was given acting lessons as well as dancing lessons. I was not proficient in Hindi, so I was given Hindi lessons as well. All this equated to long hours of dedications from myself and the Zee TV team. Today, I can say it was well worth it and I am forever grateful to Zee TV for giving me the opportunity to learn more.”
How did you feel your audition went?
“I must admit, that the night before the audition, I was feeling edgy, not knowing what’s going to happen the next day. However, after the team did my hair and makeup that evening and being very reassuring to me I felt very comfortable and ready for the audition. It went well.”
What was it like being in India?
“I can now see why famous cricketers fall in love with India. There is no place like India and I was especially impressed with Mumbai. It has a special place in my heart. Everything is beautiful and the people are so friendly and humble that you immediately feel at home. Life is very busy in Mumbai though, and at first it can be very overwhelming, but as I said, the people are very welcoming.”
How was your experience with the Zee team and visiting the Zee offices?
“The Zee team were really welcoming from Day 1. At no time did I feel out of place or even like I am from another country. They made things really comfortable for me and helped me at every hurdle I experienced. The Zee offices operate very professionally and really impressed me. I must say that I feel like part of the Zee family after my experience.”