Dhanush, Mallika hottest veg celebrities of 2011

Dhanush and Sherawat beat out early leaders Vivek Oberoi and Vidya Balan and faced further competition from Sonu Sood, Shahid Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Kareena Kapoor, a PETA release said.

The winners were chosen based on the total number of votes each celebrity received during a poll among other factors, it said.

"If I had to pick the very best thing about being vegan, it`s my clear conscience," said Sherawat, who has starred in films like `Murder`, `Pyaar Ke Side Effects` and `Welcome`.

"Being a vegetarian always made me feel healthy. I`ve always felt light. Every time I sit down to eat, I`m helping the environment," said Dhanush.

"The dozens of gorgeous celebrities in this year`s contest show how a vegetarian diet makes you beautiful inside and out," said PETA India`s chief functionary Poorva Joshipura. "There`s nothing sexier than someone who exudes passion and compassion and our winners have plenty of both," she added.