Mumait Khan is all smiles at Atrium at The Park on Saturday. Picture by Rashbehari Das

She is being hailed as the hottest item girl of Bollywood 2005. With sizzling numbers in Chocolate and Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, a Holi number with Amitabh Bachchan in Dil Jo Bhi Kahey, and then the female lead in Cabaret, Mumait Khan is indeed dancing her way to distinction.

The lady is now in the news for her burning hot item number in the forthcoming film Chocolate. This would be followed by her provocative moves in Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina starring Fardeen Khan and Koena Mitra.

She is, of course, most excited about her dance number with the Big B in Romesh Sharma’s Dil Jo Bhi Kahey. While shooting for the sequence, Miss Bold Moves was a bundle of nerves.

“I was very tense in the shots with Amitji. Though he was cool, I was faltering while interacting with him,” says Mumait, who performed at Tantra on Saturday night.

But the dusky beauty is perfectly at ease doing item numbers. “A well-performed item number gives you more fame then a lead role in a movie,” declares Mumait, who made it big with Dekh le in Munnabhai MBBS.

Having travelled a fair distance since then, she has bagged her first lead role in Cabaret, set to be released at the end of the year. Mumait plays a cabaret dancer opposite Jai Kalra, of Page 3 fame.

“The movie deals with the plight of a cabaret dancer. When I was offered the role, I decided to go for it because I was getting an opportunity to act along with dancing, which I think, I do best,” chuckles Mumait, who doesn’t see herself turning her shapely back on item numbers even if she makes it big as an actress.

Can Mumait, and other item girls of Bollywood, be accused of legitimising semi-nudity on screen? “What nudity? The songs are aesthetically done. Moreover, we are making movies for an audience that is above 18 years of age. I guess people in this country will take time to come to terms with this...”

And what about that music video with Enrique Iglesias that never happened? “I have become so involved with my work here that I could not give dates for the shoot,” claims Mumait.

Is Enrique listening?