Girls on a roll

team finds itself much in demand among advertisers.

An unconventional story to begin with, Chak De! India's success (albeit after a slow start at the box office) has brought back the zing to Yash Raj Films which, in 2007, had seen the average business of Ta Ra Rum Pum and a complete flop of the much-touted Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

Chak De! India, a Rs 20-crore experiment, with a taut storyline and devoid of a romantic angle, has, according to box office records, made Rs 44 crore from the domestic market and is still counting.

Further, it's got tax exemptions in Rajasthan and Haryana, is a part of the prestigous Oscar Library for its screenplay, and has also been included as a case study in a management institute for showcasing leadership, human resource management and other skills.

But what's more interesting is the way the film has shaped the careers of some of the girls who starred in it. With endorsements, promotional events and commercials, besides films, coming their way, Chak De! India's winning team is gearing up for success not just in reel, but also real life.

Vidya Malwade, currently in Kolkata to promote Coca-Cola's new pulp drink, Minute Maid, admits that though she was a popular model even before Chak De! India "" she did the Santro ad with Shah Rukh Khan earlier "" she has been getting a lot of offers after the film. While she's already signed on some films, Malwade says that the entire team is being approached for promotional events.

"We were in Mumbai just a few days ago for a Videocon event. It was a corporate show where the film's screening was held. The team will be in Delhi once again next month for a Philips event. It'll be a walkathon and we will all be participating. So yes, corporate brands are showcasing the Chak De! India team and promoting their brands centred around the subject of motivation," she says.

And though she's tightlipped about whether Coca-Cola will want the three girls (Vidya, Sagarika Ghatge and Chitrashi) to do a commercial, insiders reveal that the three girls might be seen in a television ad for this drink.

Malwade will also be endorsing a hi-end jewellery brand besides a well-known clothes line by a famous designer. She's done another underwater ad for an incense cone brand which will go on air next month.

"There are quite a few offers for product endorsements. The truth is that after doing a film like Chak De! India we have to be very careful about the products we endorse," says Ghatge, who will reportedly be seen in Apoorva Lakhia's Mission Istanbul.

But not all are being approached. Nisha, who represented Jharkhand in the film, says, "I have absolutely no endorsements on the cards but if there's an event in Jharkhand then maybe I will end up going there."

Interestingly Tanya, the hot-hedded Balbir of Chak De! India, is busy ribbon-cutting at lifestyle stores and boutiques in Chandigarh.

Well, the journey to stardom has already begun for some.