Identifying a new crop of actresses in Bollywood They are young and pretty. You might have even seen them in a blockbuster or two. They might not yet be in the big league but B-town is wooing these newcomers. Wait a minute,do they all seem the same to you? Are you confused between the girl in Rocket Singh and the girl in Luv Ka The End? They all look the same because they have the same make-up artistes who paint their face in a similar manner. All of them are pretty somethings,size zeroes. They need to stand out so that the audience can differentiate between them, says adman Prahlad Kakkar. Shraddha Kapoor Age: 21 Instant Recall: Teen Patti with Amitabh Bachchan and Luv Ka The End Coming Up: Another film with YRF as part of her three-film deal with the studio So You Think You Can Act: Just back from a holiday in Goa after the frenetic marketing blitz of Luv Ka The End,Shraddha is excited. I never expected to be recognised in Goa by a gang of girls. I was not even looking like a heroine. My hair was in a bun. It made me so happy that our film has reached the audience it was meant for, she says. Though she made her debut last year with Teen Patti,it took the romcom Luv Ka The End for her to get noticed. As Shakti Kapoors daughter and Padmani Kolhapures niece,acting was a foregone conclusion. I would always be asking Baaps (Kapoor) why are you wearing this flashy shirt for this scene? Why is your moustache like this? I was fascinated with the entertainment world, she says. Producer Ambika Hinduja saw her pictures on Facebook and signed her on for Teen Patti. She admits that the industrys reaction to her latest film has been encouraging. Ive got a lot more text messages for Luv Ka The End than I did for Teen Patti,so Im hopeful, she says. Quiz her on the best advice her dad,a veteran of 700 films,has given her and she says,He tells me to have fun. Love,Dosti,Cat-fights Etc: Shraddha,who has been linked with Prateik and even Shahid Kapoor,says shes not big on nonsense. Im not okay with it but Ill try and not lose sleep over it. Have You Been Mistaken For Another Celebrity? No. Thank God. Shazahn Padamsee Age: 23 Instant Recall: Rocket SinghSalesman of the Year,Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji Coming Up: Housefull 2 with Akshay Kumar So You Think You Can Act: As the daughter of adman Alyque Padamsee and pop star Sharon Prabhakar,Shazahn grew up amidst performing arts but she had no such plans for herself. She was 19 when she stepped on stage as a last-minute replacement for a lead actress. The performance was just about alright but when I saw the way the audience reacted,it hit me that this is what I want to do with my life, she says. Modelling was the next logical step and Shazahn was signed on as the face of Clean n Clear. She got her Bollywood break in Rocket SinghSalesman of the Year,a movie that got critical acclaim but not box-office success. Shazahn shifted south to act in the Tamil film,Kanimozhi,and the Telugu film,Orange. Madhur Bhandarkars Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji brought her back to Mumbai. She played a sweet Catholic girl opposite a love-weary divorcee (Ajay Devgn). Dad Padamsee is keen that she acts in plays, while her mom still cant believe that Shazahn is navigating the tricky waters of Bollywood. My mom laughs whenever I sign a new film. Ive been shy and self-conscious all my life but the moment the camera is on,I just change, she says. Love,Dosti,Cat-fights Etc: Shazahn has reportedly been in a cat-fight with Sonal Chauhan and a link-up with cricketer Sreesanth. Shes learnt to deal with this side of the business. Im an optimistic person. I must be important enough if these stories are being written about me. Till the time my parents dont object,Im fine with it, she says. Have You Been Mistaken For Another Celebrity? Never. Im quite happy that people know me as me. Sonal Chauhan Age: 23 Instant Recall: Jannat opposite Emraan Hashmi Coming Up: Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap co-starring Amitabh Bachchan So You Think You Can Act: For Sonal,its been all about serendipity. From a conservative Rajput family (her father is an IPS officer),she was spotted by a photographer in Delhi who offered her a modelling assignment. My mom freaked out when I told her. But I persisted, she says. Though she feels she was too awkward in front of the camera then,she convinced her father to let her take part in the 2005 Miss World Tourism pageant in Malaysia. She won the title and got noticed in the modelling circuit. Director Mohit Suri spotted her at a restaurant and offered her a movie role but she ended up making her debut in Kunal Deshmukhs film Jannat. Esha Deol dropped out of Jannat and Mukesh (Bhatt)ji asked me if Id do the film. I agreed and loved every moment of it, she says. Her plans of graduating with philosophy honours from Delhi University have currently been put on hold. Post the Telugu film,Rainbow,shes looking forward to co-starring with Amitabh Bachchan in his home production,Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap. She has also snapped a three-film deal with Studio 18. Love,Dosti,Cat-fights Etc: Sonal was mired in a controversy with Sahil Zaroo,arrested in connection with the Rahul Mahajan drug overdose case. About stories of cat-fights with other heroines,she says,Im cordial with anyone who is cordial to me. I just do my work and go home. Have You Been Mistaken For Another Celebrity? Well,yes,a couple of times but shes a very big actress,so if I name her,people will think Im affected. Sarah Jane Dias Age: 25 Instant Recall: Game opposite Abhishek Bachchan Coming Up: Shadow (Telugu) opposite Pavan Kalyan. So You Think You Can Act: She was born in Mumbai and brought up in Muscat,and was always interested in acting. She came down to Mumbai for studies and went through the auditioning drill. It was so disappointing. I would go for 15 auditions in a day and get rejected. A stray meeting with ace photographer Suresh Natrajan changed things. He shot my portfolio and after that,I started getting work, she says. This was followed by a stint as a VJ for Channel [V for Get Gorgeous and On The Run. In the middle of this,Sarah also won the Miss India World 2007 title. For her film debut,she chose Game,a Farhan Akhtar production. Her sexy moves in the song Mehki Mehki got her attention and shes waiting to explore what lies ahead. I take directions and instructions very well. As an actor,Im pretty much open to everything in terms of roles,clothes,make-up. Love,Dosti,Cat-fights Etc: About her recent alleged link-up with cricketer Virat Kohli,she says,I guess one has to be prepared for these kind of stories. But I try and be calm about them. Have You Been Mistaken For Another Celebrity? Yes,at the Mumbai airport. Someone mistook me for Priyanka Chopra. I was totally flattered. As long as people think I look thodi si familiar,Im happy.
