Vickey Lalwani

These women are stunningly beautiful. They have the right attitude. And the determination to prove that, contrary to the age-old myth, models can act.

What will the box office decide? Will they disappear into oblivion? Will they make it big?

Feroz Khan has signed her for two more films -- Shaadi.com and a yet-untitled venture.

Celina says, "I have heard many scary things about the film industry. But I am the daughter of an Army man; I will not go down without a fight. In Jaanasheen, I play a glamorous Anglo-Indian girl who has a lot of attitude. I think too much is being made of my bikini scene at the beach. Do you expect me to wear a sari on the beach?"

Celina is a trained Kathak dancer. In Jaanasheen, she has worked with Hollywood choreographers Caesar and Alvina. Celina will be seen doing the Tango and the Spanish Flamenco. She will even belly dance to Arabian tunes for two of the songs in the film.

Modelling assignments: Celina has modelled for Chandrani Pearls, Body Basics (USA), Bata, Angora Watches, Mother Diary and Night Angel Perfume.

She says, "Andaaz revolves around three characters -- Raj, Kajal and Jiya. I play Kajal, who is full of life and behaves like a tomboy. She plays football with the boys. She and Raj are childhood friends. Then something happens that changes her. It destroys her spirit. Kajal was not an easy character to play."

She stars opposite Akshay in Madhur Bhandarkar's Aan as well. Her next film is Apoorva Lakhia's Mumbai Se Aayaa Mera Dost, opposite Abhishek Bachchan. Her kitty also includes an untitled film with Firoz Nadiawala.

Before she won the crown, Lara apparently wanted to be a journalist. "What could I do? Destiny made me Miss Universe. Once you win such a big pageant, only films will give you the same kind of profile and sustain the name and fame you have achieved over a period of time," she explains.

Andaaz hits the screens on May 23.

Modelling assignments: Lara has walked the ramp for Sangeeta Chopra, Lubna Adams, J J Vallaya, Rina Dhaka, Manish Malhotra and Tarun Tahilani. Her prominent ads include Synergy, Walls Icecream and Siyaram's Suiting.

Katrina has taken diction and dance classes to prepare for her film career. "Since Boom was in English, I didn't really have too many dialogues in Hindi. I am trying to get comfortable with the language and looking at a lot of offers. I also get a lot of help from the industry people about the films I should sign next," she says.

Katrina flew down from London looking for modelling work, but was signed for Boom within two weeks. She says, "It is a fun project -- partly real and partly fictional. It is all about how the fashion world meets the crime world. I didn't have to do much research for the role. I plays a model."

The stunner grew up in Hawaii and moved to London when she was 14, where she started out as a model. She was soon signed up by the Models 1 Agency.

Modelling assignments: Among her more prestigious campaigns are La Sanza and Arcadius. She has also walked the ramp for London Fashion Week.

Padma Lakshmi was discovered by a model co-ordinator in a cafe! "I did my first modelling assignment when I was 20," she says.

"My television show helped me a lot. I was hosting Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy's highest rated show. Later, I also hosted The Melting Pot -- Padma's Passport for The Food Network, where I cooked diverse low-fat cuisine from my best-selling book, Easy Exotic."

Her first movie was Caribbean, a German-Italian co-production. "I played a 17th century Carribean princess and was asked to gain 20 pounds before we started shooting," she reveals.

Modelling assignments: Padma Lakshmi appeared in numerous fashion editorials and walked the runway for Ralph Lauren, Emmanuel Ungaro and Sonia Rykiel.

Designer Ritu Kumar feels Reshmi is an extremely beautiful woman, with a strong sense of Indian identity.

Born and brought up in Kolkata, this Bengali beauty is looking forward to her debut film Saazish, which will release later this year. She is also starring in Irfan Khan's untitled venture. "The role is on the lines of the [actress] Monica Bedi-Abu Salem [underworld gangster] affair," she says.

Modelling assignments: Reshmi has walked the ramp for choreographers Marc Robinson, Rashmi Virmani and Ashish Banerjee and designers Kiran Uttam Ghosh, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Anamika Khanna. Her resume also includes television commercials like Junior Horlicks and Coca-Cola and appearances in Bengali music videos.

Neha, who is barely 22, makes her debut in Harry Baweja's Qayamat, opposite Ajay Devgan. She replaced Gracy Singh, who was uncomfortable with the role.

"I was told [director] Harry [Baweja] was looking for a new face for Qayamat. I met Harry, he took my screen test. Thereafter, I was out of the country for 10 days. When I came back, I was told I had been chosen," she says.

There are many shades to her character in Qayamat. "I happen to fall in and out of love with Ajay. I am forced by circumstances to believe things that are not true."

The confident Virgo adds, "I am here to stay. I am struck by the arc lights."

Modelling assignments: Neha featured in a number of ad campaigns like Reebok, Pepsi, Gillet, Maruti and Mitsubishi Lancer.

Netanya discloses, "In Nayi Padosan I am a young bubbly character who loves partying, dancing, living life to the fullest. In Dil Jo Na Keh Saka, I play a 25-year-old who kills her husband. Partho's film is 45 per cent ready. Nitin's film will be my first release."

Modelling assignments: Netanya says, "I have done a few ramp shows and a few press ads like Kala Niketan Sarees, Vishal Sarees and Bentex Watches. I didn't want to make my face common by appearing in too many ads."

Ravi signed Rimi after he saw her in the Coke ad. "I was floored when I heard the role. I was very nervous for my screen test. It was a scene where I had to fight with my grandmother [Hema Malini]. At least 20 girls were competing for this role. Five days later, I was chosen. I play a 16-year-old spoilt brat living in the fast lane. My character loves discos and boys. My grandmother tries to reform me. Actually, I am 20-years-old and my make-up artiste had to sweat out in order to make me look four years younger," chuckles the Kolkata girl.

Baghbaan, which also stars Amitabh Bachchan, is expected to release this year.

Modelling assignments: Taj Mahal Tea, Parachute Enrich, Ariel, Videocon, Dettol, Coca Cola.