"Whatever I have would have said earlier would have seemed as if I was defending the movie. But then that was never the case. Why would I have done that when box office was the biggest defender of all? Audiences came in dozens to watch the film and they made the movie a success. Even though it may not be the quintessential super-duper blockbuster Bollywood hit but a very good success it certainly is and collections pretty much prove that", says Kareena who is now looking forward to the release of Saif Ali Khan's Love Aaj Kal which releases this Friday.

In retrospection, doesn't she feel surprised with the way media came down heavily on the film? Sighs Kareena, "But then isn't a film like ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ an easy movie to criticize? If one looks in the recent past, most Akshay (Kumar) films have seen a similar response from critics as well as box office. Look at ‘Welcome’ or ‘Singh Is Kinng’; critics disliked them both but audiences had their own mind."

"Akshay is perhaps one of the only stars who has been party to such a consistent run with critics as well his audiences, both of whom seem to be on different sides of the fence", she smiles.

Even for Kareena, this is not the first time though that one of her films went on to become a big money spinner in spite of coming under the hammer. Last year, there was not a single critic who stood up to Rohit Shetty directed ‘Golmaal Returns’ but the film made mega bucks after taking a thunderous initial.

"I guess by working in films like ‘Omkara’ or ‘Jab We Met’ and a ‘Golmaal Returns’ or ‘Kambakkht Ishq’, I am striking just the right balance. It's okay when critics do not like ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ or ‘Golmaal Returns’; there are some films that are made purely for the audiences and they succeed there. Critics may be having an individualistic opinion while audiences always come together with a collective verdict. It's a matter of choice at the end of the day, so it's all fine", she reasons.