Hari Singh, the business manager of actress Aishwarya Rai, is the latest among celebrity secretaries who have turned film producers, a list that includes the right-hand men of Madhuri Dixit, Ajay Devgan and Salman Khan.

For many, funding films seems a natural progression after years spent mingling with the Bollywood fraternity.

"When you are handling business of the stars, you meet so many people from the industry and get familiarised with them," Singh said.

"It becomes very easy then. After spending years in the industry, everyone dreams to be a producer and make their own movies."

And it helps if the celebrity can be persuaded to make an appearance in the film.

"When you manage a star for so many years and you want to cast him or her in your own film, it is improbable that the person will turn you down," says Kumar Mangat, the former secretary of actor Ajay Devgan.

"Once you have a star in the film, (it) will automatically take off as you get lots of funds."

Mangat funded five of Devgan's films, while all three of Rakesh Nath's projects starred his former employer Madhuri Dixit. Salman Khan's secretary Vikas Kapoor roped in the actor for his film Heroes and media reports said Hari Singh is planning a project with Aishwarya Rai.

Trade analysts feel secretaries-turned-producers also save money while signing celebrities.

"A star will always take less money from his secretary than what he charges from the market," says Taran Adarsh.

"This helps the economics of the film as once there's a big star, there's more hype and money."