The big day is drawing closer as Luck releases July 24. Are you nervous?
I am not really nervous. Okay, I am a little bit nervous, but more excited!

Was it your decision to make your debut with Luck?
Yes, the decision to do Luck was entirely mine, though I informed my dad that I was doing the film.

Did you not want to be launched by your dad who is a producer himself?
Dad and I had a very clear understanding that he would not launch me. I wanted to make it on my own.

Did you dream of a launch like Luck?
I didn't have any particular idea as to how my launch should be! But I knew I had to be comfortable with the script, and the part had to be challenging, never mind the genre.

And was it?
Of course! Being an action film, I had to undergo vigorous physical training and learning stuff like kick-boxing that I had never attempted before. I also had to perform numerous dare-devil stunts in Luck, including swimming underwater with sharks. Phew, that was a big challenge indeed! And even though there were sequences with sharks, and I was told that they do not bite, I was fascinated but very scared. I did not want to land up as their meal!

Another incentive must have been that Imran was your co-star.
He is a good friend and a top star, but more than that it is the fact that everyone loves Imran. Every person on the sets had good things to say about him. I like to work with people like that.

What about wearing a two-piece bikini for a scene?
I do not consider wearing a bikini a big deal. Shooting for it was like doing any other scene.

Looks-wise you are an attractive mixture of your parents, but who do you take after as a person?
I am more of myself. But I look up to my parents for what they have achieved. I admire my mom's resilience and the fact that dad never gives up when he decides to take on something.

You have been singing since the age of six when you sang in dad’s Thevar Magan, have studied music from the Musicians Institute, California, and lead a rock band, Extramentals as a lead vocalist. What drew you to acting?
Though dad did not encourage me, I remember craving to visit film sets as a little girl, and half the time would land up uninvited. I found it a very different and unique world and I always dreamed of entertaining people. I have been doing it with my singing, but never imagined that I would see myself up on the silver screen. But when I got a chance to act, I said “Why not?” I enjoy both singing and acting, as both are very creative. I have even recorded the track Aazma luck for Luck.

You are also doing the background score of your dad’s Unnaipol Oruvan, the Tamil and Telugu versions of Neeraj Pandey’s A Wednesday. Did you get to compose for the films because they were your dad’s home productions?
My father is scarily professional. He did not jump at the idea of me composing music for his film. I had to test for it by composing a score.

Who is your idol?
I am a big Shah Rukh Khan fan ever since I was a little girl. I remember telling mom to stitch Baazigar pants for me when the film was released. I adore him! He has such a unique personality. I really want to work with him.

Are you worried about comparisons with your parents?
Not at all! I only have expectations from myself, and that is to be a certain kind of artiste. I want to act, sing, dance, be a music director and much more, and Bollywood is a great place for that.