Shakira is a talented singer, and I am a huge fan of her.
I do a film if it interests me, has a connect with the audience and some entertainment value. The rest doesn't matter.
I don't think I've done any profound work yet... People ask me, 'How would you want to be remembered?' I tell them I don't want to be remembered! I'm not here to become a Madhubala or receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. I'm not that kind of a person. And I'm not brash about it; it's just the way I am.
I keep my distance from politics. Lots of money has been offered to me for campaigning over the years, and I have always refused. I used to be very politically aware and very opinionated, but I don't want to involve myself.
I would never put on 20 kilos and mess up my system because a role demands it. Hindi cinema doesn't offer you roles that get you an Oscar, anyway. Tom Hanks can do it in Hollywood; not us.
My wedding won't be a hush-hush affair. When I get married, everyone will get to know about it... there'll be nothing speculative about my wedding.
It was Vikram Bhatt and 'Raaz' that got me interested in the medium of cinema. Before that, I was like any other youngster dabbling with various things - modelling, films - without a definite direction or focus. Now that I'm working with all of them, life has come full circle for me.
Films with female protagonists don't attract many eyeballs. Most of them are perceived as feminist films. If Bollywood starts giving women major roles in entertaining movies, then the audience, too, will open up to the idea of watching commercial films in which the actresses do more than just play the role of the hero's love interest.
I actually wanted to be a doctor. But doing all those horrid rat dissections made me faint. I studied science till the 12th standard and later took up commerce. I was planning to do chartered accountancy, but fate had something else in store for me.
You don't have to do offbeat films to prove that you can act. I have done it but only to prove myself that I can fit convincingly into every kind of films. I want to do the 100 crore film where the hero does all the work, and I get to relax.
As a child, I was a brat, and my parents didn't know how to control me. So they told me ghost stories, which stayed with me. I am still petrified of darkness and being alone.
I can't let the baggage of my private life get into work. Artists are more fragile than normal people. But I know that I am a role model for zillions of people, so no matter how deep you are hurting, you need to come out strong.
I'm really bad at taking compliments, but whenever I get them, I tell myself, 'Way to go, girl' and move on.
I am very proud of my role in 'Singularity.' It pushed me into the territory of period romance. It was a very emotional and challenging role.
Whenever I get married, it will be a Bengali wedding. If I won't have a Bengali wedding, my mother won't come. She has warned me. So, I am going to have a Bengali wedding for sure.
I have been called 'Bongshell' the day I stepped into showbiz. So, any adjective coming my way, I take it positively. Sometimes it's also entertaining, but I don't feel bad about it. I'm a proud woman.
Yes, exes can be good friends, but after a certain time. Though no break-up is a good break-up, time heals everything, including broken friendships. It also depends on the kind of people they are, their mindsets and the reasons for the break ups.
Kissing onscreen is the worst thing in the world. I'm OK with lovemaking scenes, but I hate kissing.
It's a brutal world out there. If you consider the case of superstar Rajesh Khanna, he was a darling of the masses in his hey days, and his fans resurfaced only after he passed away. Such is the life of actors: one gets so addicted to fame and glory, and then it is very difficult to accept a fall. You are forgotten and only remembered when you die!
When things have gone really wrong in my life, I've cried like a child. I have really, really cried. I cry it out. Two-three days I cry, and then I'm like, enough, time to deal with reality and figure a way out. This is the way I have dealt with everything.
When I started out as a model, I took things for granted. Because I bagged work thanks to my looks, I didn't give my body any importance. I was a couch potato who'd eat anything. Then, in 2005, a tabloid ran a story calling me fat. I thought, 'I'm famous. How can I be fat?' It was a slap. I decided to get fit.
It is said that anyone who does commercial cinema is not acting, and anyone who does an art film is acting. I don't believe it. I feel whenever you are doing a film, you are acting. So you need to be applauded for that. I won't do art house cinemas. I want to make commercial films. I want my films to make money.
I am so pathetic with machines in real life, it's not a joke. I'd rather walk, or even run, than take the car out myself. I like to be driven around. Yes, I like fancy cars, and fancy bikes, too. It's my dream to learn how to ride one myself, but for now, I am content being driven around.
I enjoy the TV series 'Dexter,' where there's a reason for every kill. Quentin Tarantino is a favourite, and a 'Kill Bill' action-packed movie would be up my street. I'd love to be India's first scream queen!
For me, modelling has been an advantage because if I hadn't been modelling, I would never have been spotted as an actress. I didn't have any intention of becoming an actress.
