Chitrangda Singh

Why: After Smita Patil, Bollywood had a long wait for a smouldering sex symbol lit from within. And then Chitrangda Singh came along. Clad in a cotton sari as the self-willed Geeta in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, the wife of golfer Jyoti Randhawa simply burnt up the screen. Critics couldn’t stop raving about her performance and Chitrangda had the audience mesmerised with her drop-dead gorgeous looks. If her interviews provided a glimpse of an intelligent, self-possessed mind, then the decision to move away from the spotlight and devote time to family spoke of maturity and a head on shapely shoulders that knew exactly what it was doing. And while she did not score many points with her acting in comeback film Sorry Bhai!, we still couldn't take our eyes off her Aaliyah.

Omar Abdullah

Why: Not because, at 38, he is J&K’s youngest chief minister ever. It is not power that makes Omar so compulsively watchable. Long before he won the crown has he been one of the very few Indian politicians — brother-in-law Sachin Pilot gives him company here — who invites more than a passing glance. The son of an Indian father and a British mother, Omar has inherited his looks from both his parents. The earnest, light eyes, the hint of a smile, the determined chin, all make Omar as interesting as he is handsome. And the “I am Muslim and I am an Indian” speech he made during last year’s trust vote still rings in our ears.

Rahul Bose

Why: Okay, we agree he isn’t conventionally good looking, but even at 5’6”, a bald patch and no six-pack in sight, there is something innately sexy about Rahul Bose. When he started out, he had to have smarts to construct a career for himself in a masala-dominated industry. Now that Bollywood has caught up with him, he is flush with work.

And there is plenty more to judge him by — he is sharp, has a sense of humour and can hold his own with actors and activists alike. Plus, he plays rugby with even more passion than he plays his roles. And what sport calls for more machismo than that?

Farhan Akhtar

Why: When he gave interviews for his directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai, women of all ages were impressed. Pretty cool for someone so young, they thought. And cute, too! And then came Rock On!! and cute became history. From his curly tresses which women were dying to get their hands tangled in to the manly corporate look, everyone woke up to Farhan’s hitherto latent sexuality. He sizzled and rocked and suddenly, everyone wanted to be his groupie.

Priyanka Chopra

Why: We don't quite get why she is called ‘Piggychops’. The name doesn’t quite suit this hot-bod with brains. The Miss World title has unfortunately gone to others who are considerably dimmer than her so, unfortunately, we can’t judge her intelligence by that title. But it’s nice to have a woman who one can ogle and listen to at the same time. Not only does she impress with every interview, she has won praise for her role in Fashion. And with the Junglee Billi act in Don, one can safely say that very few women in Bollywood have looked as good while doing action.

Nandita Das

Why:She did what very few other women could do in 1947 Earth — turn the three-quarter sleeved blouse and cotton sari sexy. When she twirls in the rather forgettable Bas Yuhi to KK's version of Ek ajnabee, she really becomes the ajnabee haseena one could fall in love with. But what really makes Nandita Das so compelling is what’s going on behind those dark, incisive eyes. She really does have something to say. And you want to listen — and watch, too!

Kay Kay Menon

Why: When he was first spotted, shirtless and yummy, in the songs from the almost forgotten Chhal, most women didn’t care if he could think or not. But they couldn’t escape the fact that he did. Kay Kay has always had this brooding, smouldering sexuality about him. From the befuddled Partho in Honeymoon Travels to the intense, jealous and angry Vishnu in Sarkar, he and his talent are sizzling hot.

Anoushka Shankar

Why: She was the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Grammy in the world music category. All of 27, Anoushka has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the music business, the most recent being Jethro Tull. When she takes a seat on the stage with her sitar and with those long legs wrapped in a dress folded elegantly to the side, the daughter of Pandit Ravi Shankar makes you look as well as listen. Anoushka, who was more slender and model-like than ever on her November trip to town, has also proved her acting skills in Dance Like a Man.

We couldn’t resist cheating here to mention Anoushka’s half-sister Norah Jones. The soft, sweet face that matches that soft, sweet voice might not technically be Indian, but we’ll gladly claim half of her genes as our own. Norah, whose raked in an armload of Grammys and starred in Wong Kar Wai film My Blueberry Nights, has character and charisma and a life story worthy of a biopic. But don’t expect her to sell it soon.

Priyanka Gandhi

Why: Give us one reason why not. She has the appearance of intelligence — the very thing her brother lacks. She campaigns for her family, devotes herself to the people of Uttar Pradesh and is happy with life on the sidelines. She is shrouded in mystery, which we all know is the sexiest accessory on anyone — woman or man. And then she’s just plain sexy. Whether it is in a simple sari, smartly cut trousers teamed with a shirt or body-hugging top, the 37-year-old mother of two combines her grandmom’s stature with the sensuousness that life and time have robbed from her mother’s face. She’s classic.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Why: For many, he has the most important job in the country. And he executes it with unflappable cool, hardly breaking into a sweat, cracking only a levelheaded smile, even when felling the giants of the cricketing world. Good looks, a shrewd brain and cool under fire make Dhoni the man with the most. His fan following has gone beyond the teenaged girls who would do anything for a moment by his side to younger women, older women, married women, single women. Oh captain, our captain.

Raghavendra Rathore

Why: All hail the king! It takes skill to make such effortless clothes. And that’s just it — he is effortless. The designer wears his princely status lightly, yet elegantly, with humility and with panache. Everything gorgeous, classy clothes should be all about. Everything gorgeous, classy men should be all about.

Zaheer Khan

Why: Giving his captain company is pacer Zaheer Khan. The veteran cricketer may drive fear into the hearts of batsmen the world over, but he has quite the opposite effect on women. The ex-boyfriend of actress-dancer Isha Sharvani is a ladies man and his quiet, man-of-few-words nature makes him all the more irresistible.

Vidya Balan

Why: Far too much has been said about her bad sense of dressing and her generous proportions. Does it really matter? Does it hurt to have someone around who dares to zig while the others zag? She has talent and she has smarts. And she has an attribute that’s all but gone out of style —grace!

Irrfan Khan

Why: Brooding and intense, there is something about Irrfan Khan. He is far from conventional in his looks. So why does it work so well? Is it the attitude? Is it those eyes? Is it the talent? Along with Kay Kay, Irrfan has overturned the concept of the Bollywood hero blessed with good looks and a great body and made a mark with every role that he has taken up. If the intensity attracts women at first, it is the prospect of discovering a vulnerable man beneath the inscrutable exterior that is irresistible.

Special mention: Padma Lakshmi

Why: Married to author Salman Rushdie for three years, she was at least one thinking man's muse for a long time.

(Psst: She is also the inspiration for t2 turning the thinking man’s sex symbol label on its head. Who said thinking men think all the time?)