Finally, there's a shred of good news for Shriya Saran. Her flagging career is likely to get a boost courtesy a new item song she has been signed on for. Manoj is the lead actor for this yet-untitled film which is likely to feature Deeksha Seth or Nitya Menon in the female lead. Alas not Shriya, but for the once-cherished actress, something would surely be better than nothing, for now.
We take a look at this hot diva's life in pics.
Shriya Saran was born in Dehradun but did her schooling from Delhi Public School, Haridwar and then moved to Delhi for higher studies.
She is a Kathak dancer but later became a Kathakali dancer as well.
While she was doing her college, she got her first opportunity to appear in front of the camera and following her dance teacher's recommendation, she appeared in the music video of Reenu Nathan's Tirakthi Kyon Hawa.
After the video, she got an offer from Ramoji Films in Ishtam. Even before its release, she signed four mega-budget films including Santosham, Chennakeshava Reddy, Nuvve Nuvve and Tagore with actors Nagarjuna, Balakrishna, Tarun and Chiranjeevi respectively. It was the role of Bhanu in Santhosham, which made her a household name in Telugu cinema.
After this Shriya was seen in several Telugu films.
But it was in 2007 that Shriya Saran became a national figure after working opposite Rajinikanth in Sivaji: The Boss, which is the highest grosser in the Indian film history.
After Sivaji, she has signed several Hindi, Tamil plus a Hollywood film.
She is said to be the first actress to pair up with father and son-in-law – Rajinikanth in Sivaji: The Boss (2007) and his son-in-law Dhanush in Thiruvilayadal Arambam the same year.
Her roles range from romantic comedies to drama to science fiction and action thrillers.
Following the success of her films like Santhosham, Tagore, Sivaji: The Boss and Kanthaswamy she has established herself as one of the leading actresses down south.
Her other big hits which established her as an A -league star are Nuvve Nuvve, Nenunnanu and Chatrapathi, Thiruvilayadal Arambam, Azhagiya Tamil Magan and Kutty in Tamil.
Chatrapathi got her a Filmfare Best Actress in Telugu.
Shriya made her entry into Bollywood with a supporting role in Tujhe Meri Kasam, with debutantes Ritesh Deshmukh and Genelia. Her role was considered very small compared to that of Genelia.
But she played the lead role opposite Emraan Hashmi in Awaarapan (2007). Her performance won Shriya a Filmfare nomination for best debut actress. Next came Mission Istaanbul in 2008 opposite Vivek Oberoi but the film bombed at the box office.
She made her debut in the Malayalam film industry with Pokkiri Raja opposite superstar Mammootty and Prithviraj. The film was a superhit.
She made her Tamil film debut in Enakku 20 Unakku 18 alongside Tarun and Trisha Krishnan. This Rahman musical was a moderate success, failing to gain her more projects in Tamil.
Her first 2009 release in Bollywood was Ek – The Power of One, which was a remake of the successful Telugu film Athadu. But Ek turned out to be an average grosser.
In 2010, she was seen in the Tamil film Kutty, a remake of the Telugu blockbuster Aarya.
Shriya was seen in the Tamil film Chikku Bukku with Arya. She has done an item number in Komaram Puli and will also made her comeback as a heroine in Telugu films after a gap of five years in Don Seenu opposite Ravi Teja.
She has also walked the ramp for Neeta Lulla at the Chennai International Fashion Week.
Shriya is the brand ambassador for Lux and Head & Shoulders shampoo. She recently signed on as the brand ambassador for a new reality dance show Dhee-4.
Her revealing outfits have landed her in trouble more than once. In 2008, a Hindu organisation in Chennai lodged a police complaint against Shriya, insisting that the dress she had worn to the 175th day celebration of her film, Sivaji: The Boss, was in bad taste.
The matter was resolved only when Shriya publicly apologised to Tamils and Hindus, saying she had made a mistake.
In 2008 there was another ugly incident involving Shriya. An overenthusiastic fan reportedly molested her while she was coming out of the Tirumala temple after offering prayers. "When I was coming out of the temple after my prayers a man who was standing behind me misbehaved. I think women should stand up for such misbehaviour. Irrespective of being an actress or not I had to stand up for myself and I think any woman who is a victim of eve-teasing and molestation should stand up," the press quoted her as saying.
She has been often tagged by the media as a glamour doll. Her dance numbers in her films are mostly appreciated.
The southern sensation became the first South Indian star to be featured on Maxim's cover.
Shriya Speak: "I am never for vulgarity. Glamour, especially artistic and pleasant one, is fine."
Shriya Speak: "I had lots of crushes and lots of infatuations. I liked lots of people. I have never been totally in love with any one. But those crushes and infatuations never matured into love. So, I never had a boyfriend."
Shriya Speak: "Once I enter the location, I just forget that I am Shriya. I only keep in mind the character that I am playing. I have to wear dresses that are suitable to the character."
