It's marriage at last for one of the loveliest ladies in filmdom. And Namrata Shirodkar, who has just tied the knot with Telugu star Mahesh Babu, deserves all the luck in the world.

Not only because she's one of the most underrated actresses in Bollywood but also because she's a terrific human being. True 22-carat goodness in that girl -not a bad bone in her body.

Namrata, or Chinoo as her large circle of pals calls her, is a sparkling gem. "A true pal's pal," says Madhavan who co-starred with Namrata in "Dil Vil Pyar Vyar".

"She's so hassle-free and such a beautiful actress. I'm so happy she has settled down with Mahesh Babu. I'm sure she'll make a terrific wife. She isn't a frivolous person. Marriage is a serious commitment for her."

As Namrata flew off to New Zealand for her honeymoon, my mind raced back to my first meeting with her at Joggers' Park in Bandra. She was shooting with another Mahesh (Manjrekar) for "Astitva". People linked her with Manjrekar. But I knew there was no truth to it.

Namrata had a brief role as Tabu's purported daughter-in-law. She was tired of doing brief roles, especially after Manjrekar's "Vaastav" where she shone in the role of a hardcore prostitute.

As I spoke to Manjrekar and co-star Smita Jayekar, Namrata kept her head lowered after a polite hello. This I found strange. When I asked her about it she said, "I can't open up right away to someone I've met for the first time. It takes time. But when I do, I'm a friend for life."

I got to know the truth of her statement as time went by. Namrata never demanded anything, never got in touch with me when a film was around the corner. It was usually me calling her to ask, "Hey, your film is coming! Don't you want to be written about?"

And she would say, "Of course, I do! I realise how important publicity and self- projection is. But I can't just pick up the phone and act all friendly just because I want to be written about. People often misunderstand my attitude to be indifference to my career. But I can't be so career-driven as to become media-friendly when it suits me."

That explains why other actresses with half her talent and beauty have raced ahead. Gurinder Chadha's "Bride & Prejudice" could have been her international breakthrough. As Chadha told me, "Namrata was the band mutthi (surprise element) of my film."

But Namrata was looking forward to her own surprises. She had found the love of her life. And I found her missing for long periods of time.

"I'm in love!" she revealed during one of my sporadic conversations with her. Then she revealed the love of her life was none other than Mahesh Babu. "We're very serious. And we'll get married very soon," she promised last year. "But there're some issues to be sorted out."

Was he married already? The anxious query was answered by peals of laughter. "No, no! God forbid! I'd never destroy another woman's happiness for my own. No, no. He's very much single. It's just some family issues that need to sorted out."

I didn't probe any further. I was just happy to see this lovely girl finding the happiness that was hers by right.

What I specially liked about Namrata was her complete surrender as a friend. Unlike other actresses who claim to be buddies and yet stay on guard against saying things that might be held against them, Namrata spoke her mind fearlessly. The line between journalist and friend blurred and disappeared. She was either a friend, or not.

Now it's the knot for this undervalued enchantress whom I once likened to Meryl Streep. She said it was the best compliment she ever received. I believed her. Namrata never says anything she doesn't mean. And now that she has said, 'I Do' I'm sure she's going to stick to her marriage vows.

Will she continue with her career? I don't think so. Like her younger sister Shilpa Shirodkar who pulled out of the rat race once the right man popped the question to her, Namrata is at heart a domesticated diva. I know who the most important man in her life was until Mahesh Babu came along: her sister's little boy!

I'm not saying she will be happy making meals for her husband. But she won't aspire to do pole dances in Sanjay Gupta's steamy films the way Malaika Arora Khan does even after marriage and motherhood.

To each her own. To Namrata, the furtive innings that she enjoyed at the fringes for so many years is ample career.

I remember one of her most awful films was released at around this time last year. She played a true-life rape victim. And the film required her to do the most unbecoming things.

"That's the difference between being Meryl Streep and being compared with her. At the end of the day, Bollywood brings you down to earth with a thud," she had sighed.

But right now Namrata's floating in a technicolour dream with Telugu cinema's hot star.