Wanna see Shanghai surprise or we should say a surprise from Shanghai? Say Hello to brand new Mallika Sherawat, the starlet who's seduced you in every possible fashion- with bikini or sometimes even without it.

The world is her oyster now. Her recent friend list reads some of the most impressive names like Stanley Tong and Jackie Chan, who call her the 'little Princess'. No wonder, Sherawat is feeling pampered with the treatment she got back in orient.

But the road to Shanghai wasn't an easy one to trudge. Mallika had to toil day and night, to bring the sleaze out of the closet, on Indian screen, which in turn landed her in the international forum.

"All the HARD WORK has paid off. I consider myself extremely lucky to have gotten this opportunity to prove myself in the international arena. It's an opportunity of a lifetime. I feel a sense of achievement," gushes Mallika.

She is also well aware of the fact that while she was rubbing shoulders with Chan, many starlets back home were crying foul, how they declined the role, given the nudity involved in it.

She shrugs all the criticism by saying, "Jackie Chan films are meant for families, so the question of nudity in the film doesn't arise. As for critics, I quite enjoy what they say about me. It keeps me on my toes."

Once you remind her of the scathing remarks by Bebo, she send the conversation into the long pause by retorting, "Who is Kareena?"

But everything isn't all that bleak as it seems. There have been people like Bipasha Basu and Amrita Arora, who've openly supported Mallika and even compared her to erstwhile actress Mumtaz. Is it a ganging up of sex symbols?

"No," insists Mallika and says, "Bipasha and Amrita are cool and I like them very much. I'm thankful. It's nice that somebody is praising me for a change. I think Mumtaz is gorgeous and it's absolutely fantastic being compared to her. What else can I say?"

A humble remark from Mallika, the empress of hearts. Is Bebo listening?