Her conspicuous year-long absence from the big screen, hasn't prevented Katrina Kaif from claiming the World's Sexiest Asian Woman' crown for a record-breaking fourth time. The British-born Bollywood star defeated reigning champion Priyanka Chopra, TV superstar Drashti Dhami, and Hindi cinema's current box office queen Deepika Padukone, following another year of record-breaking votes pouring in from fans around the globe.
Stunning Katrina, secured the top spot in the world-renowned 50 Sexiest Asian Women List 2013 -compiled by Eastern Eye newspaper - with actress and singer Priyanka Chopra coming in at second place, TV actress Drashti Dhami in third and fellow Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone in fourth. A permanent fixture in the top three for the past six years, the A-lister beat stiff competition from the world's most stunning Asian women in the tenth edition of the UK based, Eastern Eye newspaper'sdefinitive Sexy List'.
The unprecedented fourth win comes just weeks before Katrina hits the big screen again in one of the year's biggest Bollywood blockbusters Dhoom 3: Back In Action.
Surprised by the win, Katrina said: "I didn't know it was a record! That's a nice surprise and a lot of fun to hear. I like it because Eastern Eye newspaper is the one my sisters see because they live in London. It's lovely, but also people are reacting to what they see. Obviously if everyone were to see me when I wake up in the morning or in my track pants and then vote for me, then maybe I would be a little bit more believing of it myself. But of course it's very flattering."
As chairman of the judging panel and showbiz editor at Eastern Eye, Asjad Nazir, who founded and compiles the list, said it was a close run race and considers Katrina's win as a precursor to a big 12 months ahead for the actress. "Being crowned the sexiest woman 2013 and with the impending release of Dhoom 3, we will see a dramatic and monumental shift in Katrina's career in the coming year. With a number of big movies scheduled for 2014, a loyal fan base and undeniable sex-appeal, it looks like the most bankable leading lady in Hindi cinema will be getting her Bollywood crown back very soon." commented Nazir.
Similar to the list last year, the biggest surprise of 2013 was the sheer dominance of television actresses from India. One notable name is Drashti Dhami, who added to a dream year by becoming the first television actress to crack the top three. Sanaya Irani entered the top 10 for the first time at sixth position. Other Indian television actresses who made the list included last year's highest new entry Nia Sharma (11), Jennifer Winget (15), Asha Negi (18), Krystle D'Souza (19) and Rubina Dilaik (26), who was the highest new entry in terms of TV stars.
"Small screen actresses entering the list in force once again showed that Bollywood is no longer dominant in India. In fact at one stage it looks like Drashti was going to win. It highlights how television is playing a much bigger part in the lives of people in India and around the world. Such is the fan-base power of small screen stars that it wouldn't surprise me if a television personality topped the list for the first time in 2014," said Asjad Nazir.
The highest new entry was Aashiqui 2 star Shraddha Kapoor (12), who narrowly missed out on the Top 10. The highest placed Pakistani was Humaima Malick (15) and the only non-Indian in the top 10, was Anger Management star Noureen DeWulf (10). The American actress, who stars with Charlie Sheen in the hit US sitcom, dominated the non-Asian vote. The oldest women in the list were Bollywood icons Madhuri Dixit (23) and Sridevi (40).
Mass interest in the 2013 List exploded across social media, with many of the stars trending across Twitter during the voting process. Other notable stars in this year's list include Sonam Kapoor (5), Parineeti Chopra (14), Sophie Choudry (21), Mehreen Syed (22), Sunidhi Chauhan (28), Ankita Lokhande (29), Hina Khan (31) and Shreya Ghoshal (43).
The 50 Sexiest Asian Women List, now in its tenth year, has become the most definitive list of its kind in the world and talks are on to finally turn it into a big television special in 2014. Asjad adds; "What makes this list really special is that most voters look at the all-round qualities of those they are voting for. Significantly, that is why a lot of female fans also vote and why the list generates such huge interest from fans across the world. The planned 2014 television special is a logical response to the list's huge global appeal, especially in an age when fans want to feel really close to their favourite stars."
2013's full list is published in UK's most established and popular Asian newspaper Eastern Eye and is out on Friday 6th December.
Coming soon... The 50 Sexiest Asian Men List will be revealed in Eastern Eye newspaper soon!
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
