Top 5 Item Girls of Bollywood

Item numbers are back with a big bang and they are definitely here to stay for a while.

With the onset of the Sheila's and the Munni's item numbers have been given a new lease of life. An item number can make or break a film's success and the performer plays a more crucial role in it. Tagged as "item girls" these women in the list are considered hot assets of the film industry.

5. Mallika Sherawat

Her first act was 'Mayya Mayya' in the film 'Guru'. The Arabian style song was a runaway hit and was one of the highlights of the film. Mallika has once again donned the title of being an item queen by featuring in two back to back item numbers this year.

4. Urmila Matondkar

'Chamma Chamma' was an iconic song for Urmila Matondkar. People don't know where the film disappeared but they still remember the superhit song that Urmila jived to. The title track of Rangeela, though not an item number, also brought about a cult following for Urmila.

3. Shilpa Shetty

Shilpa not only looted UP and Bihar, but the entire nation with her killer moves. Her rustic act was sensational and probably shot up the collections of the film. She also shut people up and bounced her way with John and Abhishek in 'Dostana'.

2. Helen

Helen was the original dancing diva of Bollywood. She was the one who glorified the dance numbers on screen. Be it 'Mehbooba' or 'Yeh Mera Dil', Helen lit up the screen with her sensuous performances. She still remains a source of inspiration to many Bollywood actresses and dancers.

1. Malaika Arora Khan

Malaika showed the nation what an item number really was with 'Munni Badnaam Hui' in 'Dabangg'. The power of her class act and Salman Khan's stupendous acting, the film smashed all records. Malaika's previous acts, 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' and 'Mahi Ve' were also big hits and of iconic status in Bollywood.

Honourable Mention: Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone

Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone produced such amazing performances in 'Sheela Ki Jawani' and 'Dum Maaro Dum' that it would be unfair to leave them out of the list. They can not be labelled as item girls but the sheer amount of buzz that these two girls created with their performances is worthy of bringing them in the same league as these women.