Shilpa Shetty to launch yoga DVD

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is filming a yoga DVD and plans to market it overseas later this year, her publicist said Thursday.

The two-hour yoga DVD is currently being filmed by Shetty's production house in southern India's Kerala state, said Dale Bhagwagar, Shetty's spokesman.

"Shilpa practices yoga every day and she believes it should be a way of life for everyone," said Bhagwagar. "Yoga has become a fashion statement in the West, but Shilpa wants to educate people about the original form of yoga, the ashtanga yoga, with the right techniques and breathing exercises."

The well-known Indian actress underwent intensive training this month in preparation to ensure she perfected the "asanas" or postures for the DVD, which will initially be sold in Britain and Dubai.

"Shilpa will give details about how to stay trim and fit with a normal diet," said Bhagwagar. "She will talk about what foods to avoid and how she maintains her figure since she is known to have the best figure in Bollywood."

A popular actress in India, Shetty, 31, hit international headlines after winning the British reality show "Celebrity Big Brother." The show sparked a huge outcry in Britain and India after house mates made racist comments against her, forcing Channel 4 to apologize.

Later this year, Shetty will play the lead in a musical "Miss Bollywood" to open in Germany, followed by shows in Britain, the United States and Australia.

She has acted in more than 40 Bollywood movies since her 1993 debut.