EXCLUSIVE: Shilpa Shirodkar recalls doing odd jobs like ‘hairdresser & credit controller’ during struggle days; says, “I told Aparesh (Ranjit)…”

Shilpa Shirodkar’s second show was Silsila Pyar Ka aired on Star Plus on 4 January 2016 and ended six months later in June. From May 2017 to September 2018, she appeared in the Colors TV serial Savitri Devi College & Hospital. In February 2020, she made a comeback to films playing a supporting role in Guns of Banaras. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Bubble, Shilpa Shirodkar reveals doing odd jobs like hairdresser and credit controller in New Zealand.

Shilpa Shirodkar opens up on doing odd jobs

When asked about her hairdressing diploma degrees, Shilpa said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah! Then, after one year, we went to New Zealand. Yes! And I said, ‘Okay, it’s been a year now.’So, now that I was in New Zealand, I knew it was a permanent move. I told Apresh, ‘I need to do something. I can’t just stay at home.’ But I wasn’t sure what course to take or how to go about it because, obviously, I didn’t have any academic qualifications. So, I said, ‘I will do hairdressing. It’s closer to the career I’ve been in for so long.’ I took admission to a school called Winters and did a hairdressing diploma. It was an 8- or 9-month course, and now I am also a professional hairdresser.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shilpa Shirodkar Ranjit (@shilpashirodkar73)

Continuing further, “I also worked there. I worked at a salon called Ronnie Wayne. Weekends were the busiest for hairdressers, so I was very busy on Saturdays and Sundays. My husband is a banker, so he had weekends off. After two months, I actually worked as an intern. You know how interns work—top hairdressers do the cuts, and the interns clean up, sweep the floors, put dirty towels in the washing machine, take them out, and clean the stations. That’s what I did while working at Ronnie Wayne.”

The actress added, “Then, after two or three months, I told Apresh, ‘We hardly get any time together. I can’t do this long-term.’ He asked, ‘What do you want to do?’ I said, ‘Make my CV.’ He asked, ‘What should I put in your CV?’ I said, ‘I have so much acting experience, plus my work experience, my diploma, and my hairdressing skills—just put everything in there.’ Then, I started applying for jobs. After that, I started going for interviews. I only went for two interviews, actually. It was like a scene from a movie.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shilpa Shirodkar Ranjit (@shilpashirodkar73)

Shilpa Shirodkar on being a credit controller

talking about her credit-controlling job, Shilpa said, “There are credit-controlling companies in New Zealand. One of the top-rated companies was Baycorp for credit controlling, and the other was Dun & Bradstreet. Both of them called me for interviews. I went for both interviews. At Baycorp, after the interview, they gave me an appointment letter right away, saying, ‘You are too good. You can start from Monday.’ I was like, ‘Really? Monday?’ Then, I went for the Dun & Bradstreet interview. They also liked me and said, ‘Come on Monday.'”

“Concluding the actress mentioned, “So, I came home with two appointment letters. I told Apresh, ‘See, I got a job!’ He said, ‘Bloody hell! I have done a double MBA in Finance, and it took me four months to get a job. And you—you just went for an interview and got a job right away!’ Then he sat me down and asked, ‘Where did you feel more comfortable?’ I said, ‘I liked Dun & Bradstreet.’ So he said, ‘Okay, then say yes to Dun & Bradstreet.’ And that’s how I worked at Dun & Bradstreet as a Credit Controller for one and a half years.”

Interview transcribed by Harsh Nargolkar and written by Akankshya Mukherjee

Watch the full interview

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Shilpa Shirodkar reacts on Namrata & Mahesh Babu NOT supporting her on Bigg Boss 18; says, “Ek tweet ya ek Instagram story…”