She is a former Miss World and is steadily shaping up to be the queen of Bollywood. Her vivacity and striking good looks have made moviegoers and critics go ga-ga over her. And Priyanka Chopra, who turns 25 Wednesday, has surely had a stride to stardom.

Born in Jamshedpur to Ashok and Madhu Chopra, both doctors, Priyanka's ride to glory began when she won the Miss World title in 2000 that pitchforked her into Bollywood. The beauty became a sensation within a few years.

Priyanka, who received death threats from conservative vigilantes after winning a beauty pageant, first acted in Tamil film "Thamizhan" (2002) and made her Bollywood debut in 2003 in "The Hero: Love Story of a Spy", which won her good reviews.

Her initial years in the industry spelt a mixed bag of fortune for her. From 2003 to 2004 her films did not do well at the box office.

Lady luck shined on her in 2004 with "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi", which became the third highest grossing film. Her negative role in "Aitraaz", a remake of the Demi Moore-starrer "Disclosure", won her critical acclaim and earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Villain.

She also participated in the successful "Temptations" tour with Shah Rukh Khan where she showcased her singing skills to the global audience.

2006 was the best year for the svelte actress. She cut two meaty roles in two of the biggest hits - "Krrish" and Farhan Akhtar's take on the Amitabh Bachchan potboiler "Don".

Priyanka started off 2007 with Nikhil Advani's multi-starrer "Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love", which received lukewarm response.

But with several projects under her belt including "Kismat Talkies", "Kurbani", "Drona", "London Dreams", "God Tussi Great Ho" and "Love Story 2050", Priyanka surely is sitting pretty in the industry.

With limelight comes controversies and Priyanka has also had her share of them like rumours of an affair with Akshay Kumar and her fallout with her secretary.

These, however, haven't really perturbed her. Priyanka's biggest assets remain her versatility with roles and her photogenic silver screen presence. With time, this young beauty is definitely capable of edging out some of the big names and become one of the top actresses of Bollywood.