by Somesh Sharma

You can either love Mallika Sherawat or simply hate her but there is no way you can ignore this sizzling hottie from Haryana. From being just another sleazy starlet to apple of Jackie chan's eye, the jat girl has achieved quite a few feats in relatively short span of time.

Reveals Akshay Khanna, who's been smitten by her's charm in Mukta art's Shadi Se Pehle, "I think Mallika Sherawat is utterly misunderstood."

"Just because she has done certain films in the past of a particular kind, it doesn't mean that everything she does now will be of the same quality. She wants to move away from her image and this film is a good starting point," he adds.

But despite her growing popularity there's is no dearth of people, who still love to bash her for her in-your-face attitude. According to them, Mallika is neither beauty nor brains... just hype, which will vanish in some time. But not everyone in the industry agrees with them.

After Subhash Ghai, Pritish Nandy Communications has signed Mallika Sherawat again to act in Sudhir Mishra directorial 'Ab Tera Kya Hoga Johny'? She is already working with PNC for their 'Pyar Ke Side Effects' opposite Rahul Bose.

Why Mallika?

"Mallika has an earthy sex appeal which connects to people, removed from Aishwarya's aloof one. She strikes an instant empathy with the audience," reveals Pritish Nandy.

"She is one of the most underused artistes... always ready to challenge herself. Our new project is not an art film. This will be one of the most significant roles of Mallika's career, as we will be using her sex appeal in a different format, design and styling," he adds.

Hmmm.. do we smell some heartburns?