 | 1. Two of her releases this year were considered for the Golden Globes. One of them is up for the Oscars. She played leading lady to Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan and scored on all three counts. With 79 per cent votes, you don’t need to solve a paheli to guess the year’s Heroine No. 1. Bengal’s best import to Bollywood in recent years, RANI MUKHERJEE has done it all in 2005 — from the deaf-and-mute Michelle in Black to the effervescent Lachchi in Paheli to the irresistible Babli in Bunty Aur Babli. She’s come up the hard way from obscure films like Biyer Phool and Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat to be the leading lady of powerhouses like the Chopras and the Johars. You can see more of Rani raaj in 2006, starting with Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. |
| 2. Bollywood’s favourite unwed mother, PREITY ZINTA ka kya kehna! When she is not cavorting with Saif Ali Khan on the white sands of Melbourne for Salaam Namaste, the combative kudi is trying to set some record straight or the other. To be seen in Jaaneman and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna next year, Zinta babe is in second spot |  |
 | 3. From Tollywood’s Titli to Bollywood’s Page 3 journo, KONKONA SEN SHARMA has been able to carve a niche of her own in the glam-glad tinsel town. Voted here to a creditable third spot, Koko will be seen next in her mother Aparna Sen’s 15 Park Avenue, Naseeruddin Shah’s Yun Hota To Kya Hota and Rajat Kapoor’s Mixed Doubles |
| 4. From ads to music videos to movies, it’s been a dream flight on the creative wings of Pradeep Sarkar for VIDYA BALAN. Easily the year’s most promising newcomer in Parineeta, she has a lot to look forward to — Munnabhai Meets Mahatma Gandhi, Eklavya and Salaam-e-Ishq |  |
 | 5. ROOPA GANGULY wowed critics and audiences with her powerhouse performance as the Borobou in Rituparno Ghosh’s dark and disturbing Antarmahal. She also produced the six-in-one movie medley Ek Mutho Chhobi. The outsider in the race, Roopa manages to grab the fifth spot |
