Hot Bollywood businesswomen

When Paris Hilton showed up on the scene, everyone's tongues were wagging about what a blonde she was. But then the pretty little airhead turned out not to be such a blonde after all. Even after failing miserably as a singer and actress, the Chihuahua-sporting heiress turned into quite the businesswoman in the 00s with her own lines of jewellery, perfumes and footwear, a chain of nightclubs and a brand of hair extensions too!

But why talk about this fashionista's business feats when we have our very own brand of businesswomen closer home, in Bollywood. They prove that item numbers and hook-ups are not the only thing they are good at. Take a look the how the hottest women in showbiz who play entrepreneur with style…

The Poppadom Princess: Shilpa Shetty
Not that she didn't have a career in Bollywood, but Celebrity Big Brother really did it for her, thanks to the infamous Jade Goody and racist remarks. (God bless her soul. May she rest in peace). Anyway, ever since, there's been no stopping Ms Shetty.

The smart businesswoman that she is, Shilpa used the racist remark 'Shilpa Poppadom' to her own advantage. She's launching her own brand of healthy curries and poppadoms. Shocked? Don't be. She's still riding the racism wave with a yoga DVD and her own range of perfumes in the UK. But she's not leaving her Indian fans at a loss. She's acquired Indian Premier League cricket team Rajasthan Royals and is a joint partner at the IOSIS chain of spas in Mumbai.

Most recently she was in the news for her marriage to billionaire Raj Kundra. Was that another smart business move? We think not.

Little Miss Bossy: Preity Zinta
After a string of successful Bollywood flicks, Preity Zinta decided to indulge her entrepreneurial side.

The dimpled beauty along with then beau Ness Wadia bought the Kings IX Punjab cricket team of the Indian Premier League. Soon after, she dumped Ness. But the team is still her priority. She knows how to play boss, whether it's cheering her boys on the cricket field or promoting her team through reality TV show Behind The Seams which takes you through the journey of her cricket team.

The star, who's always had an opinion on everything, is not one to shy away from a challenge. So what if she hasn't a clue about business! She packed her bags and flew off to Boston for a crash course in negotiating and deal-making at Harvard. Way to go!

Mistress of All Trades: Sushmita Sen
If you thought all beauty pageant contestants are a bunch of airheads, you're mistaken! Sushmita Sen actually gave the phrase 'beauty with brains' a whole new meaning. The former Miss Universe, after winning the crown, promptly joined the Bollywood brigade but that didn't kill her business acumen.

She was one of the first actors in Bollywood to foray into business. She started her company Sensazione way back in 2006 through which she plans to open hotels, nightclubs and spas.

The actress also started Tantra Entertainment Pvt Ltd (TEPL) last year and is working on her directorial debut Rani Lakshmi Bai. And guess which production house is producing the film. Sushmita Sen Productions, of course!

With business deals coming out of her ears, she's gotten herself a sprawling apartment in Bandra - that costs over Rs 5 crore - as office space.

Domestic Diva: Twinkle Khanna
No, we don't mean she's busy cooking and cleaning. Twinkle's not one to live in her husband's shadow, you know. Just because she's married to one of Bollywood's biggest superstars, doesn't mean Twinkle Khanna will play housewife.

She's designing beautiful homes and offices. After she gave up acting in 2002, she opened her own interior design store called The White Window.

In the bargain, she's reinvented herself as a successful entrepreneur. She's lost oodles of weight and is quite the fashionista, frequently spotted at fashion weeks. Now don't tell us you don't remember her unbuttoning hubby Akshay Kumar's jeans at Lakme Fashion Week!

Haute Hotelier: Ayesha Takia
This girl sure knows how to pile on the pounds. We are talking money here, not weight. Of course, we won't deny she's good at the latter too.

Never mind her tons of flop shows, Shaadi Se Pehle and No Smoking to name a few, Ayesha Takia has donned the new hat of restaurateur. After her marriage to restaurateur Farhan Azmi, she's reportedly learning the ropes from her hubby and is all set to help him grow his business. Talk about being a supportive wife.

She and Farhan bought a (hold your breath) 200-year-old bungalow in Goa last year which they plan to transform into a swanky 20-room boutique hotel with a luxurious swimming pool, lounge area and of course, scrumptious food. Clever move, we think, considering her languishing movie career.