Who’s that girl?

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 for whom it was meant,” she says. Though she made her debut last year with Teen Patti,it took the tween romcom Luv Ka The End to get her noticed. As Shakti Kapoor’s daughter and Padmini Kolhapure’s niece,acting was a foregone conclusion. “I would always be asking Baaps (Kapoor) things like why are you wearing this flashy shirt for this scene or 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 industry reaction to her latest film has been encouraging. “I’ve got a lot more text messages for Luv Ka The End than I did for Teen Patti,so I’m hopeful,” she says. Quiz her on the best advice her dad,a veteran of 700 films,has given her and she says,“He always keeps telling me to just have fun.”

Love,Dosti,Cat-fights Etc: Shraddha,who has been linked with Prateik and even Shahid Kapoor,says she’s “Not big on nonsense. I’m not okay with it but I’ll try and not lose sleep over it.”

Have You Been Mistaken For Another Celebrity: “No. Thank God.”

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,it’s 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 with Kunal Deshmukh in Jannat. “Esha Deol dropped out of Jannat and Mukesh (Bhatt)ji asked me if I’ll 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,she’s 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,“I’m 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 she’s a very big actress so if I name her then people will think that I’m affected.”

Sarah Jane Dias

Age: 25

Instant Recall: Game opposite Abhishek Bachchan

Coming Up: Telugu film,Shadow,opposite Pavan Kalyan.

So You Think You Can Act: She was born in Mumbai and brought up in Muscat,and acting was always a possibility. She came down to Mumbai for studies and also 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. As her film debut she chose Game,a Farhan Akhtar production. Her sexy moves in the song Mehki mehki got her attention and she’s waiting to explore what lies ahead. “I take directions and instructions very well. As an actor I’m pretty much open to everything in terms of roles,clothes,make-up. I’d like to believe that I’ll be a director’s dream come true.”

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 keep calm.”

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,I’m happy.”

Shazahn Padamsee

Age: 23

Instant Recall:

Rocket Singh—Salesman 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 ad-man Alyque Padamsee and pop star Sharon Prabhakar,Shazahn grew up in an environment of the performing arts but had no such plans for herself. She was 19 when she stepped on stage as a last-minute replacement for the 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 film break in Rocket Singh—Salesman Of The Year,a movie that got critically acclaim but not box-office success. Shazahn shifted south to act in the Tamil film Kanimozhi and the Telugu film Orange. Madhur Bhandarkar’s Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji brought her back to Mumbai. She played a sweet Catholic girl opposite a love-weary divorcee. Dad Padamsee is keen that she acts in plays, while her mom still can’t believe that Shazahn is navigating the tricky waters of Bollywood. “My mom laughs whenever I sign a new film. She still can’t believe I’m doing this. I’ve 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. She’s learnt to deal with this side of the business. “I’m an optimistic person. I must be important enough if these stories are being written about me. Till the time my parents don’t object,I’m fine with it,” she says.

Have You Been Mistaken For Another Celebrity: “Never. I’m quite happy when people know me as me.”