You have been a part of this industry for the past 14 years. How do you look back at your journey so far?
It’s been 20 years in the glamour industry. I did modelling for 6-7 years before I got into films. It’s been a progressive and fruitful journey. The graph has always been going up.
Did you always set out to become an actress or did you have other goals?
Actually, I didn’t plan on anything. Everything fell into the right places. I just followed my heart and now here I am.
How and when did you get bitten by the acting bug?
In 2002, I started my career with a megamodel contest and that was the time I moved to Mumbai. ‘Fashion’ happened in 2008 and the success of the film changed everything for me. I decided to do more films. Otherwise, the plan was to complete the shoot for ‘Fashion’ and just get back to my runway.
What was the reaction of your parents when you first told them this is what you want to do for the rest of your life?
Actually, I never really told them. I just left the house one day saying that I am going to Mumbai to pursue modelling and the rest is history. They eventually came to terms with it. By the time ‘Fashion’ happened, I was a well known supermodel and I was doing pretty well for myself.
You made a rather unusual and bold choice for your debut film – ‘Fashion’. How did it happen? What really attracted you to the character Janet Sequeira?
They say ‘the less you know the better’ and that’s exactly what happened to me. I never thought about debuting in films. I liked the role and the entire team. It was Madhur Bhandarkar and with him came co-actors like Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and Arjan Bajwa. I would have been a fool to say no to be a part of something like this. I knew this would certainly take me somewhere and here I am! If you will see the pattern you will notice that the following decade many budding actors too started thinking like this while choosing roles.
How was it sharing screen space with Priyanka Chopra? How do you feel about the things she has accomplished as an actor today?
Priyanka Chopra is an amazing person. She is a great co-star anyone can work with. I am very proud of her accomplishments. She is the true example of being ‘beauty with brains’.
Not many remember that you have also shared screen space with Shah Rukh Khan in a commercial. How was that experience?
Oh yes, that was during my initial days in the industry in 2003 when I did TV commercials. I was so new to this whole industry and SRK was a delight to work with. He is such an amazing and humble human being!
In one of your interviews, you have stated that you would be delighted to be a part of TV serials. Not many actors who have established themselves on the big screen are open to the small screen. Your thoughts…
For me work is work. It is all about how much I enjoy doing it. Whether my work gets featured on a big screen, small screen or on OTT, it’s not my concern. I am fine with anything as long as people can watch and enjoy my work. Also, we should not forget that every platform has its own benefits.
Rahul and you are one of the power couples we have in Bollywood. How and when did love blossom between you two?
We met at our dear friends Anchal and Anupam Mittal’s destination wedding. Anupam is my favourite shark on ‘Shark Tank India’. I tell them that they matched us unknowingly at their wedding. Kisi ke naseeb main do logon ko milana likha hai toh it can happen at their own wedding too!
What was your first impression of Rahul like?
My first impression of him was very good. I found him to be a very sorted and simple human being.
You have been together for a long time now. Do you get questions related to marriage thrown at you quite often? What are your thoughts on the same?
We will be celebrating nine glorious years on July 3, 2022. It has been simply amazing with him. While marriage is a topic of discussion, we are very happy the way it is right now. Trust me, living in is nothing less than being married. Why do you think people get married? Maybe because they want security, labelling of the relationship, feeling of togetherness, etc. We both already feel all of those things with each other. Also, we have very different thought processes. We are no drama people. We are very secure financially, personally and mentally. No one is going anywhere. It’s all in the ‘feel’ that’s more important for us than any other thing!
You enjoy a huge male fan following. Has it ever affected your relationship with Rahul? Any crazy fan incidents you can recall?
Our respective fan following has never affected our relationship. As I said earlier, he is a very secure partner and fan following is part of our jobs. I really cannot recollect any crazy fan incident as when I am with Rahul, nobody dares to misbehave with me (Winks).
There is a surge of female-centric content, especially on OTT. How do you look at this change?
It’s absolutely amazing and I would love to be part of such amazing content, especially as a leading character in a female-centric story.
Bollywood often comes under scrutiny for nepotism and various other things. What is the advice you would give to anyone who wishes to be a part of this industry?
All said and done, everyone comes with their own destiny and challenges. Nepotism or no nepotism, if you are talented and have a balanced attitude towards life, you can achieve anything.
The year 2020 brought to the limelight the issue of mental health amongst the actors who constantly find themselves under pressure. Have you faced any such pressure? How do you deal with it?
I have never actually faced any such problem and I feel blessed about it. This mostly happens when one is slightly insecure about finances, life choices or responsibilities etc. With the grace of my spiritual master Tarneiv ji, I am secure as a human being and I know for sure all is well. His teachings, meditation and chanting are huge blessings in my life. One learns to find ways to work things out if one door shuts, ready to face adversities with a stronger attitude and creativity flows.
What is the best and the worst thing about being a celebrity?
Nothing is worse. There are a few difficulties but all the positives make up for it. It’s one of the best and most satisfying professions.
You are also one of the fittest actresses in B-Town…
Fitness is very important for everyone in this world. We saw the immunity battle during a pandemic. Being truly healthy is very important. No amount of muscle or thin body is counted as fit. Eat well, stay well and look your best!
Do you still have a bucket list of filmmakers and actors you want to work with?
Today all the filmmakers, old and new, are exploring new things. All I want is to be a part of some great scripts, amazing roles and brilliant teams.
