In a unique contest, Bollywood actors and IPL team owners, Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty will be closely watching women from South Africa attending the IPL matches to choose a Bollywood starlet among them.

The IPL has announced a Bollywood movie role for one lucky South African lass.

The lucky South African IPL fan with star quality stands to win a role in a Bollywood movie, 50,000 rands in cash, a business class trip to India and other prizes in the 2009 tournament’s Miss Bollywood SA competition.

“We’re looking for someone who has the star quality to stand out in a crowd, probably without even trying that hard. It’s that special, almost indefinable, quality that makes someone a star more than a beauty queen that we are looking for,” IPL chairman, Lalit Modi said.

“IPL matches with their mix of fun and excitement are an excellent environment to identify the kind of person who is a natural stand-out in a big crowd,” he added.

“Star searches like this are a really great way to find people who may never even have thought that they have what it takes to really make it big,” Shah Rukh Khan said.

“The heart of our idea is to search the crowd at IPL matches for someone who has the attitude and appearance that automatically draws the eye. It will be the kind of person who is not necessarily showing off for the camera, but who can mesmerise even total strangers,” he said.

A total of 50 winners will be chosen from the crowds at every one of the eight venues around the country that are to host IPL matches. Winners will be shown on the big screen at every match during the second five-minute break.

There will be one finalist per match, identified with the help of TV producers who will have cameras scanning the crowds. IPL matches are being played in Cape Town, East London, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Johannesburg and Pretoria.

One finalist from each venue will be chosen, leaving eight winners to be hosted and feted at The Wanderers in Johannesburg at the final of the IPL 2009 tournament on 24 May. The ultimate winner will be announced during the final.

IPL fans worldwide will also be able to cast their votes for the winner via the IPL website.