Sizzling Shriya Saran, the birthday girl

Actress and businesswoman Shriya Saran, who is all set to make her Bollywood comeback with Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai, celebrates her 29th birthday today (September 11).

The sizzling actress was recently seen in the Tamil film Rowthiram.

Coming up: Shriya's sensual turn in Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai.

Shriya Saran, who made her debut in Bollywood with Awaarapan opposite Emraan Hashmi, is now busy shooting for her new Hindi film, Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai.

The actress, who is working with Akshaye Khanna and Mugdha Godse, tweeted: "Akshaye Khanna and Mugdha are a total sweet hearts! Loving the shoot :)"

Rowthiram, which released last month, failed to impress critics or fans.

Shriya has recently signed a Malayalam movie Hero opposite superstar Prithviraj. This is her third Malayalam film after the Mammootty–Prithviraj starrer Pokkiri Raja and Mohanlal's soon-to-release Casanova.

Coming up: More on the sultry diva.

Shriya Saran was born in Dehradun but did her schooling from Delhi Public School, Haridwar and then moved to Delhi for higher studies.

She is a trained Kathak dancer but later picked up the Kathakali dance form as well.

While in college, Shriya appeared in the music video of Reenu Nathan's Tirakthi Kyon Hawa.

After the video, she got an offer from Ramoji Films in Ishtam. Even before its release, she signed four mega-budget films including Santosham, Chennakeshava Reddy, Nuvve Nuvve and Tagore with actors Nagarjuna, Balakrishna, Tarun and Chiranjeevi respectively. It was the role of Bhanu in Santhosham, which made her a household name in Telugu cinema.

But it was in 2007 that Shriya Saran became a national figure after working opposite Rajinikanth in Sivaji: The Boss.

After Sivaji, she signed several Hindi, Tamil and one Hollywood film.

Shriya is probably the first actor to share screen space with legendary actor Rajinikanth (Sivaji: The Boss) and his son-in-law Dhanush (Thiruvilayadal Arambam) , in the same year.

Following the success of her films like Santhosham, Tagore, Sivaji: The Boss and Kanthaswamy, she has established herself in the South.

Her other big hits which established her as an A -league star are Nuvve Nuvve, Nenunnanu and Chatrapathi, Thiruvilayadal Arambam, Azhagiya Tamil Magan and Kutty in Tamil.

Telugu film Chatrapathi got her a Best Actress Filmfare (South) in 2006.

Shriya made her entry into Bollywood with a supporting role in Tujhe Meri Kasam, with debutantes Ritesh Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza. Her role was considered very small compared to that of Genelia.

But she played the lead role opposite Emraan Hashmi in Awaarapan (2007). She won a Filmfare nomination for Best Debut that year. Next came Mission Istaanbul in 2008 opposite Vivek Oberoi but the film bombed at the box office.

She made her debut in the Malayalam film industry with Pokkiri Raja opposite superstar Mammootty and Prithviraj. The film was a superhit.

She made her Tamil film debut in Enakku 20 Unakku 18 alongside Tarun and Trisha Krishnan. This Rahman musical was a moderate success, failing to gain her more projects in Tamil.

Her first 2009 release in Bollywood was Ek - The Power of One, which was a remake of the successful Telugu film Athadu. But Ek turned out to be an average grosser.

In 2010, she was seen in Tamil film Kutty, a remake of Telugu blockbuster Arya.

Shriya was seen in the Tamil film Chikku Bukku with Arya. She has done an item number in Komaram Puli and will also made her comeback as a heroine in Telugu films after a gap of five years in Don Seenu opposite Ravi Teja.

Shriya has endorsed several health and beauty products including Lux and McVitie's biscuits.

Her revealing outfits have landed her in trouble more than once. In 2008, a Hindu organisation in Chennai lodged a police complaint against Shriya, insisting that the dress she had worn to the 175th day celebration of her film, Sivaji: The Boss, was in bad taste.

The matter was resolved only when Shriya publicly apologised saying she had made a mistake.

In 2008 there was another ugly incident involving Shriya. An overenthusiastic fan reportedly molested her while she was coming out of the Tirumala temple after offering prayers. "When I was coming out of the temple after my prayers a man who was standing behind me misbehaved. I think women should stand up for such misbehaviour. Irrespective of being an actress or not I had to stand up for myself and I think any woman who is a victim of eve-teasing and molestation should stand up," the press quoted her as saying.

She has been often tagged by the media as a glamour doll. Her dance numbers in her films are mostly appreciated.

Shriya is the first actor from the South film industry to be featured on the cover of men's mag Maxim. (Photo Courtesy: Maxim)

Shriya Speak: "I am never for vulgarity. Glamour, especially artistic and pleasant one, is fine."

Shriya Speak: "I had lots of crushes and lots of infatuations. I liked lots of people. I have never been totally in love with any one. But those crushes and infatuations never matured into love. So, I never had a boyfriend." (Photo Courtesy: South Scope magazine)