Salman,ranbir and the curious case of katrina kaif

• Nitya Shah

Her's is the quintessential Bollywood fairytale. She came from nowhere, with no big daddy to back her, yet she conquered the movie industry (in time) and has been crowned the most sensational actress.

Katrina Kaif, the lady with a thick American accent and appearances that aren't typically Indian, is now Bollywood's undisputed darling.

From signing on big budget movies to locking deals with high-end brands, she's got it all.

Although she did face rejection when she first set foot into the glam world, she quickly altered her fate after befriending the influential Salman Khan.

Soon, she climbed the Bollywood ranks, and every reputed filmmaker was queuing up outside her house to sign her on.

Her first on-screen pair-up with Salman was in 2005 with 'Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya', two years since her disastrous debut 'Boom'. Her off-screen relationship with the Khan only added to the magic.

But, just when things were looking up, her romance with Salman ended on a bad note.

The cracks were visible when Salman refused to acknowledge her at the press meet to unveil their romantic movie 'Yuvvraaj' in 2008.

From there on, it was downhill for the once much-loved-in couple.

Katrina's career, however, remain unaffected. Most industry insiders speculated that this would end her acting career, but she shocked everyone as she continued to climb up the ranks. And, this despite causing Salman much heartache.

She followed up with numerous box-office hits.

Salman's unhappiness was visible when he shot 'Veer' with a newbie who looked strikingly similar to Katrina in 2010. An exercise he had earlier indulged in after splitting with Aishwarya Rai, when he cast her lookalike in 'Lucky – No Time For Love'.

But, Katrina stood her ground and refused to play into Salman's whims and fancies. Instead, she did what many could've termed suicidal… she started 'dating' another Bollywood hero.

Although there were criticisms from different quarters, Salman surprised everyone and took it in his stride.

Today, Katrina has achieved the impossible – she has stayed friends with Salman.

Despite Salman's wavering affection and highly irrational behaviour, Katrina has managed to "tame" him, and this while ensuring her romance with Ranbir continues to blossom.

After doing item numbers for Salman's movies, she went on to team with Salman for a romantic thriller 'Ek Tha Tiger' and held her own during the promotions despite Salman's taunts.

Her equation with Ranbir too remained unaffected, as she silently orchestrated their romance.

Although they continue to remain evasive about their relationship status, Ranbir's decision to team up with his ex-lover Deepika Padukone in 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani', has created a sudden imbalance.

With the shy and reclusive lovers suddenly being caught together at public events. Many insiders claimed it is Katrina's way of setting the boundaries and establishing her rightful position in Ranbir's life.

For the uninitiated, it was Katrina who had allegedly broken up the Ranbir-Deepika romance.

While we have no clear confirmation of what injustices ensued in this strange love triangle, we can safely decipher that Deepika is clearly out of the race, and it is Katrina who is inching her way to the "Kapoor" finish line.

With her career skyrocketing and her love life on an all-time high, clearly here's a Bollywood heroine who is having her cake and eating it too.