In Britain, feminist Germaine Greer defended Shilpa in The Guardian, while The Independent showcased the issue on its front page on Thursday.

British MP Keith Vaz raised the issue in the British Parliament, the House of Commons, and Shilpa has Prime Minister Tony Blair rooting for her.

Back home, demonstrations have rallied to her support and condemned the racism on the show.

Do you think the publicity will work wonders for Shilpa's acting career? Can she use the Big Brother drama to leap onto the international stage, something Aishwarya Rai, who hails from the same Bunt community as Shilpa, has not been too successful in doing?

How can Shilpa profit best from this controversy? Tell us!