They called her 'the new action-girl' and 'India's answer to Lara Croft' when 'Dus' became a runaway hit. Now, with her new Kannada film 'Auto Shankar' emerging a roaring success, the critics are calling her 'the new Gabber Singh of India'.

Gee! Shilpa Shetty is sure attracting varied names and terms for herself.

Even her 'Auto Shankar' co-star Upendra is stunned at the way the Southern audiences have taken to her role in the movie.

For the uninitiated, Shilpa plays the character of a devastatingly beautiful woman who is a menace to society. She's the heroine of the film but also the villain; playing boorish and loathsome to the hilt. No doubt, they have termed this role of hers, an ode to Gabbar Singh.

Shilpa's first two films in Kannada were with Ravichandran and were super-hits all over the State. With 'Auto Shankar' doing phenomenal business in Karnataka and adjoining regions, the Shetty gal has scored a hatrick down South.