She's not the only one. Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Yana Gupta, Nargis Fakhri, Monikangana Dutta, Tena Desae, Mia Uyeda, Lisa Haydon and her sister Malika have all be Kingfisher models in the past. While Nargis made her Bollywood debut opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Rockstar, Monikangana was seen in Hrithik Roshan - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Guzaarish. Tena Desae bagged a Hollywood project The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
As for Ram Gopal Varma's muse Nathalia Kaur, her item-number in Department has been rocking the music charts of late. She too is a Kingfisher calendar girl. Often compared with the Pirelli calendar, photographer Atul Kasbekar says that Kingfisher calendar is a celebration of femininity. "We take women with great bodies and make then look extraordinary beautiful. Sexuality is depicted in a stylish way in the Kingfisher calendar."
Commenting about the attention that the calendar has garnered Atul adds, "Models across the world send in requests to be a part of the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar. I get over 1000 emails from aspiring contestants every year. Nargis Fakhri, Angela Jonsson or Katrina Kaif, whose mixed parentage makes them look exceptionally stunning. These girls have got great roles in Bollywood."
Going by the trend, it seems as though there will be an upsurge of Kingfisher calendar girls joining Bollywood in the coming years.
Quiz him about the calendar being a launch pad for aspiring actors and he quips, "At times we receive calls from producers in Bollywood, even before our calendar is published. They keep asking us for the new face of the calendar. It has become like an encyclopedia for people wanting to cast a new face in a film."
To enter Bollywood, a good portfolio is mandatory. However, the Kingfisher calendar girls don't need to invest in any such portfolio. Being a part of the calendar gives them an opportunity to get their photographs clicked by Atul at foreign locations and once the calendar releases it gives them grate exposure. "The models also go through a grueling process to qualify, along with extensive diet programmes. We don't want skinny models. We need models who have a well-toned, athletic body."
The Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar started way back in 2003 and Atul Kasbekar has been shooting the Photographs for the calendar since hen.
With the passing years the calendar has gotten bigger and better. Surprisingly, it's now being viewed as a launch pad for young models wanting to pave their way into Bollywood. Take the case of Kingfisher calendar girl Angela Jonsson, who just landed an exclusive deal with Salman Khan's home production. There is no confirmation on how and when the actor will be launched but the buzz is that she will be marking her film debut opposite Salman Khan.