Chopra and Chatwal turbanned at the Lounge

Considering that the film is for adults only, Shweta Konnur just about manages to qualify as lead actor. At 21, she gets to share bedroom space with Italian actor Romeo (no kidding, that is his real name) in the Bollywood thriller cu@9. "It is a very sensuous and bold film," says Konnur. "It took a few weeks to convince my parents that I wanted to be a part of it." With 16 films in the south and Ram Gopal Varma's Darna Mana Hai under her belt, she was keen to do this film, made by ad/music video director Marlon Rodrigues, because "I want to shock my audiences". Simple: she gets to drop her pants, you get to drop your jaw.

Eyes on the World

Aishwarya Rai at Cannes may make the headlines but there are other women representing India for less glamorous but very solid reasons. Mumbai social worker Celine D'Cruz has been awarded the 2003 Yale World Fellowship, a prestigious programme that brings 16-18 emerging leaders of diverse backgrounds to study issues facing the world. "I want to complement my experience in the developing world with the developed world's management skills," says D'Cruz, the achiever you are unlikely to see on Page 3. "Often if you work in one field for a long time your vision gets myopic." As they say, there are those who wish to be seen and those who wish to see.

Title Song

It is raining beauty queens in Bollywood these days. So though Miss India-Asia Pacific Parmita Katkar goes to the international pageant in November, you will see her first in a bit role and a sexy number in Inteqam. But aren't Miss Indias meant to visit Mother Teresa's homes rather than wiggle their assets in item numbers in the days before the contest? Kakkar says quickly, "It is a hot number, but I do not wear a bikini. It is a fun song." Go by her definition of fun song but remember Miss Indias also think that parading in a bikini contributes to world peace.

Walk and Win

How do you get more roles in Bollywood? Stage noisy walkouts. A month after starlet Payal Rohatgi walked out of an item number in the Vivek Oberoi-Aishwarya Rai film Kyon Ho Gaya Na, she has walked into the Sanjay Dutt-starrer Plan, where she has been cast opposite Bikram Saluja as a capricious glamour doll who doesn't believe in love. She also makes a special appearance in Mahesh Manjrekar's It Was Raining That Night. So what is a computer engineer from Ahmedabad doing in Bollywood? "Waiting for the right role. Until then, I guess it is going to be the glam-doll image."

-Compiled by Kanika Gahlaut