HIGH VOLTAGE ACT

Being too hot to handle might just have a downside. Even as newspaper headlines screamed that Bipasha Basu had been caused grievous physical and mental trauma after being molested by event managers at the India Day parade in New Jersey, the Bengali babe clarified that the two men who came to fetch her for the event were not known to her and during the hour-long drive from Manhattan to New Jersey "they spoke irresponsibly and made over-familiar and derogatory comments". And right on the money, Basu made a public announcement of this humiliation at the parade. "I deserve respect," says the no-nonsense Basu. Way to go, girl.

LADIES AT LORD'S

Couture Cat

She is the Page Three couture queen of Mumbai, recently labelled a gold-digger in an ugly family feud. But social butterfly Sheetal Mafatlal has taken all the infamy in her stride and has gone from donning a Versace ghagra at her wedding to bringing international couture house Valentino to Indian shores as president of Mafatlal Luxury. From diamond-dripping socialite to envied entrepreneur, it's been quite a turnaround for the Mafatlal missus.

Star 'by Chance'

She is a science graduate from Kashmir, who has her sights set on Bollywood. Saniia, niece of former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, will make her Hindi film debut with Sirf Romance, Love by Chance, directed by Raaja R. Bundella, starring alongside Aamir Khan's brother Hyder. Bundella can't stop gushing about his "talented and well-trained" discovery. Says Saniia, "I've always been fascinated by Bollywood." A star in the making, perhaps?

-Compiled by Kimi Dangor

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