Sushmita Sen, taking up the challenge!

Madhur Bhandarkar's CHANDNI BAR was a huge commercial success. The brilliant Tabu essayed the role of a bar girl with a gritty perfection underlining the fact that she is one of the finest actors in Bollywood today. That role won her accolades galore and also brought the then so far neglected topic of bar girls on to the page.

Then Kareena Kapoor flavored the character of a prostitute in CHAMELI that won her considerable critical acclaim and imparted the gorgeous actor with a chance to display her acting histrionics. CHAMELI sure is a landmark in Kareena's career as it was the first of its kind movie she had done.

Now the ex-Miss Universe and a fine actress Sushmita Sen will be playing a sex worker in the forthcoming CHINGAARI. The film is directed by the accomplished Kalpana Lajmi and will have Sushmita play a challenging role hitherto undone by the dusky actress. Sushmita's acting talents simmered in SAMAY and MAIN HOON NA and she is by all means a convincing actor. But CHINGAARI will see her in a different light altogether.

There is something about the character of a sex worker or a temptress that has been so instrumental in many a female actors' career. Whether it's Madhubala and Meena Kumari in the role of a courtesan in MUGHAL-E-AZAM and PAKEEZAH respectively or even Madhuri Dixit in Bhansali's DEVDAS, they have all achieved a status of immortality. Rekha was simply awesome in UMRAAO JAAN (that is being remade by JP Dutta) and still holds the distinction for one of the most memorable performances.

Even Nagma's (now a Southern star) career got a big boost after BAAGHI where she portrayed a girl who is forced into prostitution. Salman Khan was her co-star in the film. The film was a box-office triumph and furthered the prospects for the talented Nagma.

Now will Sushmita be able to corner the market with a character that has a colossal magnitude and that'll have Sushmita's acting abilities put on to test. CHINGAARI's box-office show will answer the question. But it won't be wrong to mention that Sushmita has got a role of a lifetime.