Shriya Saran in a bikini!

What's the quickest way to go from struggling South Indian actress to national icon? Star alongside Rajnikanth, of course!
That's just what Shriya Saran did last year, when she bagged a role in Shankar's blockbuster Sivaji: The Boss. Today, she's a household name, albeit one prone to a little controversy.


Earlier this year, a Chennai-based group famously charged her with 'offending Hindu culture' for the 'inappropriately skimpy attire' she wore during the 175 day anniversary of Sivaji's launch.

Evidently, she's over that. In the June edition of Maxim magazine, Shriya gets down in a bikini and reveals her hot, super sexy bod. While they might cause indigestion with the hardliners, we must admit, the photographss are amazing!


By putting Shriya on the cover of Maxim, the magazine has pushed new boundaries. It's the first issue that so heavily features a South Indian star.
"We had been thinking of getting someone who bridges this strange divide we have between the North, South and the West," says Anup Kutty, Editor. "Shriya fit the bill perfectly because she's done Bollywood, is a huge South Indian star and is now making waves in Hollywood as well."


By making waves in Hollywood, Kutty's referring to the role Shriya recently bagged in a film produced by Ashok Amritraj, called The Other End of the Line. She will star alongside Jesse Metcalfe, the hunky American actor best known for getting down and dirty with Eva Longoria on hit serial Desperate Housewives.



Shriya's story is doubly interesting, given that she was born in Haridwar, in Uttarkhand. She made her Tamil movie debut in 2003's Enakku 20 Unakku 18. The film, which scored average box office results, is best remembered as a musical hit, thanks to composer AR Rahman.