When Mallika Sherawat approached the podium inside the council chambers of Los Angeles City Hall last Friday, she had a big smile on her face. Sure, she was about to be named, by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, as an Honorary Citizen of the entertainment capitol of the Western world, yet perhaps she was also smiling because she still has quite the following in the world’s other great film industry back home in India.

On a day where Indians in Los Angeles were celebrating the birth of Krishna while their brothers and sisters in India commemorated the birth of a modern nation, somehow Sherawat was able to make a name for herself in Hollywood while also splashing waves in Bollywood.

Late Friday morning, Sherawat was named an Honorary Citizen of Los Angeles and accepted a proclamation from Villaraigosa during a special event at City Hall, as if Hollywood blessed her in the name of Lord Krishna. Meanwhile, halfway around the world, a poll published in The Times of India – the country’s largest news publication – deemed Sherawat to be the hottest sex icon representing the world’s biggest film industry. It was as if Bollywood granted her ultimate freedom on India’s Independence Day.

The honorary citizenship was bestowed on her by the Los Angeles City Council, marking the first time ever that a Bollywood star was recognized in such a manner. Council members decided to confer the honor upon Sherawat in its effort to recognize India’s 62nd Independence Day celebration on August 15th. She was also recognized for her charitable contributions and for her recent move to Los Angeles as a resident, where she has lived in a penthouse for the past year.

Across the seas in India, Bollywood fans participated in an online Times of India poll, where they were asked to select who they thought was the hottest actress to represent the popular film industry. Sherawat finished in first place, receiving 20% of the vote. Katrina Kaif was not to far behind, with 14% of votes, while Internet sensation Sherlyn Chopra garnered 12% of the tally. Rounding out the top five were Bipasha Basu (9%) and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (8%), while Priyanka Chopra placed sixth and Kareena Kapoor Deepika Padukone were among seven actresses tied for seventh.

Sherawat, who recently completed filming her lead role in the upcoming Jennifer Lynch film, Hisss, is no stranger to being a trailblazer or a sex symbol. Not only is she dubbed as the “Marilyn Monroe of Bollywood,” but she was also the first Indian actress to have an American milkshake named after her, and she was also the first Asian star to be invited to Twitter’s headquarters.

With her being a first among Bollywood stars in both sex appeal and in socio-political status, Sherawat was truly blessed by the Indian Gods while her fellow brothers and sisters celebrated their freedom halfway around the world – truly a uniquely positive situation to be in.