Not as lucrative a year for our actresses, 2003! Unfortunately variety seemed alien to our leading ladies over the past year. In fact, the year was dominated by only a select number of actresses, namely Urmila Matondkar, Bipasha Basu, and Preity Zinta! Senior actresses Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini made their presence felt, while few others managed to leave a strong impact. A look at the actresses and how they fared in the year 2003...

Aarti Chhabria:
Hits: 0
Misses: Dil Ka Rishta (special appearance), Raja Bhaiyya
Coming Up Next: Team - The Force
Did You Know? After a span of flops in the form of Tumse Accha Kaun Hai, Dil Ka Rishta, and Raja Bhaiyya, Aarti wishes to go the Aamir Khan way. That's right...one film at a time for this girl, which is why her only forthcoming film is Team - The Force. One ought to inform her that she may need to touch up on her acting before becoming too choosy about roles!

Aishwarya Rai:
Hits: 0
Average: Kuch Naa Kaho
Misses: Dil Ka Rishta
Coming Up Next: Khakee, Choker Bali, Bride and Prejudice, Kyon...Ho Gaya Na, Chaos
Did You Know? 2003 was quite the productive year for Ash. Not only did she become the first Indian judge at the Cannes Film Festival, but she also became the first brand ambassador for L'Oreal Paris. On a personal front, however, she issued a statement against Salman Khan after the latter threatened her new beau Vivek Oberoi via "41 menacing calls", thus proclaiming never to work with Salman again.

Akanksha Malhotra:
Hits: 0
Misses: LoC
Coming Up Next: Garv
Did You Know? She went to town professing her untapped talent during the release of her debut film, the forgettable Yeh Mohabbat Hai. After being signed for LoC, but not being given a single dialogue in the film, she may have learned her lesson. She is now set to star in Garv, though one wonders just how much she'll have to do in a Sohail-Arbaaz Khan/Shilpa Shetty starrer!

Amisha Patel:
Hits: 0
Misses: Parwana
Coming Up Next: Rahen Na Rahen Hum, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Suno Sasurjee, The Rising
Did You Know? After a dismal 2003, with the forgettable Parwana as her only release, Amisha bagged the prestigious venture The Rising, a film any actress would give her right arm to work in. Her role was initially to be played by Aishwarya Rai, but Ms. Rai apparently refused to lower her new 'international price' to star in the film, thus leading to her walking out of the project. I think it is safe to say that Ash's loss will surely be Amisha's gain.

Amrita Arora:
Hits: Zameen (special appearance)
Average: Ek Aur Ek Gyarah
Misses: 0
Coming Up Next: Shart, Rakht
Did You Know? Amrita is mad about Enrique Iglesias. She was even treated on her birthday to an Enrique concert by didi Malaika Arora-Khan. So special was this birthday, that Malaika even made her way backstage and requested Enrique to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Amrita. The singer obliged, only to result in Amrita bursting into tears and having her picture taken with him like a truly ardent admirer. We wonder what Enrique would think of Amrita now, three years later, if his eye were to catch Amrita's erotically charged Dilli Ki Sardi number!

Amrita Rao:
Hits: Ishq Vishk
Misses: 0
Coming Up Next: Masti, Main Hoon Na
Did You Know?

Antara Mali:
Hits: 0
Average: Darna Mana Hai
Misses: Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon
Coming Up Next: Gulaal, Ram Gopal Verma's next
Did You Know? Antara is a self-proclaimed fan of Madhuri Dixit, hence it was no surprise when she snatched up the title role in Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon. So mad about Madhuri is Antara that she considers it her dream to just meet the magical Madhuri even once; Madhuri herself has expressed a desire to see the film with a rather creative subject, and if Antara's done justice to the role then we're sure her dream of meeting her idol will certainly come true!

Bipasha Basu:
Hits: Jism
Average: Zameen
Misses: Footpath
2004 Releases So Far: Ishq Hai Tumse
Coming Up Next: Aetbaar, Jaane Kya Hoga, Rudraksh
Did You Know? Careful not to make this one upset...she has a reputation for hitting people once angered. John Abraham, Dino Morea, Aftab Shivdasani, and Milind Soman all claim to be at the receiving end of Ms. Basu's many knocks!

Dia Mirza:
Hits: 0
Misses: Dum, Pran Jaaye Par Shan Na Jaaye, Tehzeeb
Coming Up Next: Aziz Sajawal's next
Did You Know? Fikar not, folks...Dia has not fallen victim to the name-changing bug, or at least not anymore! The sudden publication of her name as 'Dia' rather than the previous 'Diya' had many thinking that she too had turned to astrology and name changing, as was the scenario with Tusshar Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, and Kareena Kapoor. Dia, however, says that her name was always spelt as 'Dia' and that upon entering the industry she was advised to 'Indianize' her name and change the spelling to 'Diya'. What later followed was a span of flops, hence the switch to her original name.

Esha Deol:
Hits: 0
Misses: Kucch To Hai, Chura Liya Hai Tumne, LoC
Coming Up Next: Yuva
Did You Know? Her newfound love is Chura Liya Hai Tumne costar Zayed Khan. The two even performed together at the 2003 Fairglow Zee Cine Awards. Relationships have been like musical chairs for Esha, as she left Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche costar Aftab Shivdasani for Kya Dil Ne Kaha/Kucch To Hai costar Tusshar Kapoor, and then moved on to Zayed. Looks like we've found our undisputed female version of khiladi Akshay Kumar!

Gracy Singh:
Hits: Gangaajal, Munnabhai MBBS
Misses: Armaan
Coming Up Next: Shart
Did You Know? She loves to bowl in her free time. Only problem is that she hardly knows how! Search the bowling alleys of Mumbai and you just may find Gracy practicing a couple of bowls. And we're sure there will be a long line of eligible (read: male) instructors to help her!

Hema Malini:
Hits: Baghban
Misses: 0
Coming Up Next: To direct daughter Esha in untitled film
Did You Know? She once bought a new necklace, hoping it would catch pati Dharmendra's attention. When Dharamji failed to notice, she began to sulk until the ever-romantic husband proclaimed, "Kya karoon? Meri aankhen aapke chehre pe hi atak gayee." Looks like romance is forever in the air for these two!

Hrishita Bhatt:
Hits: 0
Misses: Haasil, Out of Control
Coming Up Next: Tere Pyaar Ki Kasam, Charas, Ab Tak Chhappan
Did You Know? More like one of the guys, this one. Her good friends in the industry are made up of her very male costars, be it Jimmy Shergill (Haasil, Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar, Charas) or Ritesh Deshmukh (Out of Control). No worries, nevertheless, as Hrishita is well aware of the fine line between friendship and a little bit more than that!

Isha Koppikar:
Hits: 0
Average: Darna Mana Hai
Misses: Dil Ka Rishta, Pinjar, LoC
Coming Up Next: Rudraksh, Kimberly Cottage No. 16, Inteqam
Did You Know? Her forthcoming film Inteqam is a remake of the Hollywood flick Basic Instinct. Manoj Bajpai plays the man sandwiched between Isha and Nethra Raghuraman. Both Sushi Sen and Dia Mirza already turned down Isha's role before she finally grabbed it.

Jaya Bachchan:
Hits: Kal Ho Naa Ho
Misses: 0
Coming Up Next: No films confirmed as of yet
Did You Know? She loves playing both reel and real-life mother to no, not beta Abhishek, but to none other than Shahrukh Khan! The bond that formed between the two during the filming of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham only grew stronger during the making of Kal Ho Naa Ho; in fact, Mrs. Bachchan is said to consider Shahrukh to be her adopted son!

Juhi Chawla:
Hits: Jhankaar Beats
Misses: 3 Deewarein
Coming Up Next: Sannata
Did You Know? 2003 was a particularly fruitful year for Ms. Chawla as she not only made a comeback of sorts into the industry with the runaway hit Jhankaar Beats and critically acclaimed 3 Deewarein, but also gave birth to her second child, a baby boy, in July. Juhi also has a baby girl named Jhanvi, around three years of age.

Kareena Kapoor:
Hits: 0
Misses: Talaash, Khushi, Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon, LoC
Coming Up Next: Bewafa, Chameli, Yuva, Milenge Milenge
Did You Know? LoC sees her opposite Saif Ali Khan for the first time their respective careers; incidentally, Saif had always wanted to work with Kareena since she first shot to superstardom, calling her "hot, happening, and a livewire". Looks like she made this Khan's dream came true!

Karisma Kapoor:
Hits: 0
Misses: Baaz
Coming Up Next: Mere Jeevan Saathi
Did You Know? After breaking her engagement with her companion of six years, Abhishek Bachchan, Karisma tied the knot with childhood friend Sanjay Kapoor (not to be confused with the actor Sanjay Kapoor). Incidentally, Sanjay was already married and thus had to divorce his wife in order to marry Karisma, thereby inviting several rumors as to when their affair began (and also as to why Karisma's relationship with Abhishek went kaput).

Mahima Chaudhary:
Hits: Tere Naam, (guest appearance), Baghban (guest appearance)
Misses: LoC
Coming Up Next: Star, Chess, Sarhad Paar, Rahen Na Rahen Hum, Hum Do Hamaara Ek
Did You Know? Ever wonder how Mahima suddenly began appearing in every Salman Khan film, despite the fact that they are yet to have shared any leading roles opposite one another? This friendship dates back to Salman's jail days following last year's unfortunate car incident. Mahima was apparently one of the only celebrities to visit Sallu directly in jail, thus creating a bond that resulted in her guest appearances in both of Khan's 2003 releases, Tere Naam and Baghban.

Manisha Koirala:
Hits: 0
Misses: Escape from Taliban, Calcutta Mail, Market
Coming Up Next: Taj Mahal, Paisa Vasool, Tum
Did You Know? Her forthcoming film Tum sees her playing the obsession of a younger man, played by Karan Nath. Manisha played a similar role in 2002's controversial Ek Chotti Si Love Story, in which she played the obsession of a 14-year old boy. A look like Manya has no qualms about being the apple of the younger man's eye.

Namrata Shirodkar:
Hits: 0
Misses: Pran Jaaye Par Shan Na Jaaye, Tehzeeb (guest appearance), LoC
Coming Up Next: Bride and Prejudice, Charas, Insaaf
Did You Know? Though she is starring in Gurinder Chaddha's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (aptly titled Bride and Prejudice), Namrata says she has not read Austen's classic novel. If anything, she claims to have seen the film...! Not all that promising of a statement, but time will only tell as to how well Namrata manages to bring the classic to life.

Preeti Jhangiani:
Hits: 0
Misses: Baaz, LoC
Coming Up Next: Jaane Hoga Kya, Aan
Did You Know? Despite rumors linking her to Jaane Hoga Kya costar Aftab Shivdasani, these two have been friends for as long as they remember. The Jhangianis were apparently always close to the Shivdasanis, because of which Aftab and Preeti can see each other as little more than friends. The mere thought of a relation, according to the two, is like linking a brother and a sister. Guess we'll have to take their word on this one!

Preity Zinta:
Hits: Koi...Mil Gaya, Kal Ho Naa Ho
Misses: The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Armaan
Coming Up Next: Lakshya
Did You Know? She may be considered one of the most talented and versatile actresses today, but Preity herself has little knowledge of the yesteryears of Indian cinema. She herself admits to being oblivious to 99% of the older Hindi films, stating she has seen almost none of the classics. For someone with such little knowledge of Hindi films, she sure fits into the industry like a glove!

Rani Mukherjee:
Hits: Chalte Chalte, Kal Ho Naa Ho (guest appearance)
Misses: Chori Chori, Calcutta Mail
Coming Up Next: The Rising, Bajirao Mastani, Yuva
Did You Know? Though she made her debut in 1996 with the disastrous Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, Rani rose to fame with two successive hits in 1998, Ghulam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Incidentally, Rani was not the first choice for either of these films. While it is a well-known fact that Twinkle Khanna was Karan Johar's first choice for the role of Tina in KKHH, hence the name of the character, it is not so widely known that Pooja Bhatt was first offered Ghulam, as often was the case with Bhatt productions. Looks like luck was in Rani's favor as these two hits made her who she is today!

Raveena Tandon:
Hits: 0
Misses: Satta, Stumped, Pran Jaaye Par Shan Na Jaaye, LoC
Coming Up Next: Hum Do Hamaara Ek, Police Force, Jaago, Sandhya, Ek Hindustani, Aan
Did You Know? She is now engaged to film distributor Anil Thadani, and even plans to give up acting post-marriage. Not to worry, however, as the lady still has plenty of films to complete before leaving us for Anil! She will still be working, nonetheless, as Chairperson for the Children's Film Society of India.

Reema Sen:
Hits: 0
Misses: Jaal - The Trap, Jodi Kya Banai - Wah Wah Ramji
Coming Up Next: Hum Do Hamaara Ek
Did You Know? Amitabh Bachchan isn't Tabu's only fan. Reema couldn't take her eyes of Tabu throughout the dubbing of Jaal - The Trap. Though the two hardly had any scenes together, Reema would simply watch Tabu emote and says that Tabu even gave her goose bumps! Looks like Tabu's reeking havoc among the industry with her exceptional acting!

Richa Pallod:
Hits: 0
Misses: Wrong Number
Coming Up Next: Agni Pankh
Did You Know? She managed to bag the Absolut Vodka commercial a few months back. Why is this surprising? Well, the competition was down to Richa and current sensation Bipasha Basu. How Richa was chosen over Basu will always remain a mystery...!

Rinke Khanna:
Hits: Jhankaar Beats
Misses: Pran Jaaye Par Shaan Na Jaaye, Mango Souffle
Coming Up Next: Chameli
Did You Know? Chameli sees Rinke play wife to Rahul Bose once again, after the two played a married couple in 2003's hit film Jhankaar Beats. Kareena plays the lead, which was originally supposed to be played by Antara Mali, while Rahul's role was to be essayed by Aftab Shivdasani. Quite the game of musical chairs in terms of casting!

Riya Sen:
Hits: Jhankaar Beats, Qayamat
Misses: 0
Coming Up Next: Plan, Bachelors
Did You Know? She has signed Bachelors, in which she will be seen alongside sister Raima Sen for the first time. Riya says she is looking very forward to working with elder sister Raima, except that Raima has officially made it her duty to wake Riya up in the early hours of the morning to report to shooting. The downsides of living with your costars...!

Sameera Reddy:
Hits: 0
Average: Darna Mana Hai
Misses: 0
Coming Up Next: Plan
Did You Know? Sameera's true obsession is - no, not Sanjay Gupta - cars! The sexy siren literally collects automobiles, and owns at least five of them, a figure that would put any of our so-called macho actors to shame!

Sandali Sinha:
Hits: 0
Misses: Om, Pinjar
Coming Up Next: Dilip Shankar's next
Did You Know? She began as a model...you may have seen her in the Pepsi Dabur and Lakme commercials. Sandali also used to act in TV serials, until she finally made it to the big screen with Tum Bin. After Tum Bin came a long silence, followed by the horrendous Om. Sandali may have redeemed herself with Pinjar, but roles are not coming easy to this actress who is struggling to find any exciting offers.

Shilpa Shetty:
Hits: 0
Average: Darna Mana Hai
Misses: 0
Coming Up Next: Garv, Phir Milenge, Kahin Aag Na Lag Jaaye, Dil Churake Chal Diye
Did You Know? Shilpa has always been a trendsetter of sorts with her fashionable, though often skimpy, clothes. Ask the Shetty girl what her favorite attire is and she will reply, "anything with a leopard print". She is certainly one woman who is wild about leopard/zebra prints, and even claims to have her bedroom designed to a similar taste! So if you guys wonder how to win Shilpa over, just gift her with some leopard print and she should be yours!

Sonali Bendre:
Hits: Kal Ho Naa Ho (guest appearance)
Misses: Chori Chori, Anaahat
Coming Up Next: Basu Chatterjee's next
Did You Know? Sonali seems to have turned to the South industry post-marriage. She first made a Telegu film titled Palnati Brahmanaidu, after which she played a truly negative character in the film for the first time in her career. She also starred in Amol Palekar's Marathi film Anaahat, the most expensive Marathi film till date.

Sushmita Sen:
Hits: 0
Misses: Pran Jaaye Par Shan Na Jaaye, Samay
Coming Up Next: Main Hoon Na, Paisa Vasool, Bewafa, It Was Raining One Night
Did You Know? Despite the cold vibes Sushmita shared with Karisma Kapoor while filming for Biwi No. 1, Sush was quick to befriend the younger Kapoor gal, Kareena, during the making of Bewafa. So close the two have become that they are constantly out partying together, coming as quite a surprise considering the manner in which Kareena brutally rebuffs anyone who raises issues with big sis Karisma (i.e. Abhishek Bachchan and Bobby Deol).

Tabu:
Hits: 0
Misses: Jaal - The Trap, Hawa
Coming Up Next: Sarhad Paar, Jadh, Maqbool
Did You Know? Our critically acclaimed Tabu also has a fan in none other than Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The Big B claims that he has been asking to work with Tabu for years now, but no one takes him seriously, not even Tabu herself! Amitji is now in search of a script that will allow him to act alongside whom he refers to as one of his 'favorites'...any takers?

Tara Sharma:
Hits: 0
Misses: Saaya
Coming Up Next: Masti
Did You Know? When rumors were soaring that John Abraham and Bipasha Basu had called it quits, it was believed that Tara and John shared more than just a sizzling onscreen chemistry in Saaya. It was even suggested that John proposed to Tara after being rebuffed by girlfriend Bipasha! Naturally, the rumors proved to be false, as John and Bips remain together today, while Tara refuses to comment on her own love life.

Urmila Matondkar:
Hits: Bhoot
Misses: Pinjar, Tehzeeb
Coming Up Next: Ek Haseena Thi, Aankh Micholi
Did You Know? The United Nations has chosen her as its goodwill ambassador towards Pakistan. Urmila even spent a week in Pakistan last month shooting for a video/documentary directed by Prahlad Kakkar, and is reportedly going to be seen in a Pakistani music video as well.

Do you have any thoughts on this? Feel free to send Sabrina an e-mail @ Sabrina Siddiqui.