Katrina Kaif has emerged the top female celebrity endorsing a number of brands in 2008, according to the latest TAM Adex study. Her rising clout is apparent because she is the only woman among the top five Indian celebrities with the maximum endorsements. Shah Rukh Khan grabbed the top spot with 21 endorsements, followed by cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan and of course, Katrina.
Katrina has left behind her female colleagues like Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor, and marched way ahead. Ace ad director Pralhad Kakkar tries to explain why Katrina is so popular in the ad world. "She has an international face," he says. "She has long legs and looks attractive. She is a complete male fantasy."
Katrina replaced Priyanka in the Spice Telecom ad and made headlines by replacing Ash in Nakshatra. She also grabbed the Pantene account by replacing Sushmita Sen. "The only other Indian actress, who has such a global appeal is Ash," says Pralhad. "Kat has a very indefinite face. She is an ad maker's delight. You can make her look European, Indian, American or even Brazilian. She is very flexible and adaptable. She has the perfect mix of innocence and sensuality.
"Saleability is the most important factor," continues Pralhad. "Even Zeenat Aman was one such star who barely spoke Hindi. But she attracted the masses as people needed someone like her. She carried that kind of poise and dignity that Katrina has as well. I think Kat is a reincarnation for the Indian audience as she can be sophisticated as well as the gharelu types."
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