Are your nervous or anxious before the film’s release?
No yaar! I do not have the time to be nervous.
Going by your choice of roles you seem to be pretty choosy.
I am not picky or choosy. I just do good things! A lot of journalists ask me if a year is a long time for a second film’s release. I do not know how to answer that! I am just choosing good, challenging and different roles.
So what is your criterion for choosing roles?
Script! Besides that I do not look for anything else. A good script is half the job done.
What is your character like in Delhi-6?
I play Bittu. She wants to do her own thing but at the same time she doesn’t want to hurt her parents. I think that all youngsters are like that - they are so confused about everything in life!
So was it an easy role to play?
Not really! I had a lot of preparations to do. Before we started shooting, I had to understand my role and the script. For two months I sat with Mr Mehra, my mom and to get the hang of things. Besides that I had to work on my body language, accent and basically the whole look.
What’s the story of Delhi-6 like?
It is a complete family entertainer. Of course it is a love story but that is a small part of the film. Delhi-6 is about the people of India, the culture and our traditions. The film is a reflection of India. Everybody will be able to identify with the film, be it an eight-year old or a 60-year old. I would in fact say that Delhi-6 is one of those rare films that you can watch with your whole family and not feel embarrassed.
How was it working with Abhishek?
Oh, he is such a darling! It was great working with him. The thing with Abhishek is that he is young enough for me to connect with him as well as experienced enough to turn to for guidance. We have great timing and that is what clicks. Everybody’s been talking about our chemistry but that comes from the comfort level that we share.
Masakalli has become a huge rage. Did you expect this kind of response?
What are you talking about? I do not even expect anything from the film. When you do something you don’t really expect anything to come out of it! I just go ahead and never think about any expectations or repercussions.
Reportedly Rakeysh and Abhishek troubled you on the sets.
Yeah! They were constantly pulling my leg and playing pranks on me! They would crack these funny jokes because I would get all worked up when I was doing an intense scene.
Recently, you have walked the ramp and been on the cover of fashion magazines. How glamorous is that?
I don’t know about glamorous but it fun. I love dressing up and that was just an extension to my personality. Though both the characters in my films veer towards traditional attire they were not any less glamorous. When you play a certain character, you dress and behave accordingly. Similarly I am not Sakina or Bittu in real life. If wearing short skirts in films is what you call glamorous then you sure need a reality check!
Who is a better co-star, Ranbir Kapoor or Abhishek Bachchan?
Both of them are good, so please don’t ask me to choose!
Much has been spoken about you and Deepika Padukone. Are you all good friends?
I have a good professional working relationship with everyone in the industry. I think that says it all!
Who’s on your wish-list now?
I would love to work with Karan Johar, Farah Khan and Farhan Akhtar. It would also be amazing to be paired with Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. I also want to work with Ranbir and Abhishek once again!