Your latest Hollywood outing sees you in an avatar which is far from your leading lady image…
It’s not about whether I’m the leading lady in a project or who my co-star is. For me, the film-maker, script and role are deciding factors. And I have always tried to defy the obvious and test myriad characters. That’s why there’s an Iruvar, Josh, Khakee, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, Devdas, Raincoat, Chokher Bali and Shabd to name a few. As they have been saying in the West, ‘She is not house-hunting in Hollywood’. In fact, I’ve never done that. I’ve not gone to them looking for work.

Could you be explicit about your character, Sonia, in the Hollywood flick?
The role is in keeping with the film’s genre. It is a Clouseau vehicle and not an acting piece. Sonia is pivotal to the drama. But if you ask if the story revolves around her, the answer would be in the negative. In fact, all the other members of the cast other than Clouseau, are character actors here. The ensemble cast is fantastic. It’s like a Chaplin or a Laurel Hardy comedy.

What will be your response to detractors calling your role in the film a blink-and-miss one?
It would be a ridiculous response from those who know about the Pink Panther series. And for those who don’t, I would say that if they’ve accepted me in a Khakee and a Mohabbatein and weren’t so myopic then, why do they have to do it now? It’s just cinema.

Is it pressurising for you to choose the right project?
We, actors are very greedy. We’d love to do it all. Variety excites us. I’m blessed that I’m spoilt for choice in terms of projects. Time, schedule, the combo of script, role, film-maker and sometimes, my instinct, determine whether or not I’ll give my nod to a project.

What’s your take on Abhishek’s Delhi 6 and his on your next international release?
I enjoyed the latest from his stable. It speaks of an issue without being too heavy. We keep discussing how both films have a fantastic ensemble cast.

So, who do you think Abhishek rocks with on screen?
I’ve never got down to looking at it that way. Come to think of it, we both have been paired the maximum together. You know, apart from many factors, availability also becomes a criterion in such cases.

And what do you have to say about the Slumdog Millionaire bashing?
I haven’t yet watched SM, thanks to my schedule. But I’d say, it’s just a movie. Danny Boyle wasn’t trying to make a statement. It’s an international film after all, and you have to acknowledge Danny. And we are happy about Rahman, Resul and Gulzar saab. It’s time we applaud and appreciate an accomplishment.

What about Bengali ventures?
Well, Rituda has been trying to meet me during my stay here. In fact, I’m always open to working with him. He keeps talking about his ideas with me and there’s an idea that we are discussing.

Q: How much do you relate to you character Jia Rao?
A: Without losing audience empathy, it was a fine line and also this film is adapted from a literally classic. We are doing an adaptation of a book.

It is a classic that we are adapting to modern day sensibilities, to a modern day film so that it holds ground even today.

We will not be wondering as to what we are watching; that this is something that should have been made years ago. It is a modern day adaptation of a classic English novel Rebecca.

Q: How was the experience working with Ananth Mahadevan?
A: It was extremely good and I’ll tell you primarily why. He was a fab director because he is an expert in telling emotional stories with limited characters. He is a director who is capable of getting into the core of the matter for any kind of subject. He is knowledgeable and he knows everything about films.

We shot in one of the most beautiful places possible that was Bikaner and Gajner palace. I really do not know why people go abroad. We have so much beauty in our country, we have so many fabulous places that we can go to.

We shot in Gajner palace and this is the only place that I would like to go back to with that special someone in my life. It is a place that just won me over.

Q: Tell us about the character.
A: This girl is someone who lives in the city and when she meets Dino Morea’s character, it is a beautiful romance. She is then transported to Gajner where they live. It seems like a fairly tale, a perfect marriage until it goes back to where she is living.

There she realizes that there are many secrets, lies and undercurrents of things that are not right in that place. It becomes life threatening for her. Dino’ character is some one who has a lot of tradition behind him. His name carries a lot of heritage.

Yet he is a modern day man who is caught between carrying on his heritage vis-à-vis to one who wants to break into the 20th century. When he brings her back out there, he brings her back to an environment which bleaks with an air of emotional decay.

Q: So you will be seen as Mrs. De Winter?
A: Yes I am playing the second wife of Dino, the second Mrs. De Winter, a famous character.

Q: Why do you think people should go and watch the movie?
A: I think it is a film that deals with relationships. Ultimately we are in the job of entertaining and so here we tell you a story about two people who are torn apart by secrets, deception and lies.

Ultimately you come in there to watch a story to be transported to another land; to a world of make believe and fantasy. We are here to cater to the fantasies of the people.

Q: What led you to films?
A: It was a total fluke. I don’t know, it just happened, it wasn’t planned. I was modeling and did an advertisement for a maker who said that he wanted me to do this film. I thought and thought and they were after me for about four months.

I had a discussion with my family and they said that if it has to be this way, then I had to decide right now. So I took the plunge and still two years down the line I’m still plunging. I have no regrets; I’m happy doing what I do.

Q: What went wrong with ‘Anthony Kaun Hai’?
A: It was a good film and but the problem was that it got sandwiched between two mega film: Omkara and ‘Kabhie Na Alvida Na Kehna’. It was unfortunate that we could not release the film earlier. I had great expectations from the film but it missed the audience.

Q: What would you have been if not an actress?
A: I always wanted to be a war journalist and specialize in photo journalism. I have lived in Srinagar and there the CNN crew used to come to cover all the problems there. I used to go along with them and loved it. I loved all the risk that they went through, until one day they got hurt in a bomb blast and stopped.

Then I realized that this is what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to go to such places and do the stories taking all the risk. I might look small and timid but in reality I’m extremely tough and bold. I’m extremely strong though I do not look like that.

Q: Would you like to do a challenging role like Aishwarya Rai did in Devdas?
A: I really like Aishwarya Rai and am a great fan of hers. I don’t know if I would be able to portray the character as well as Aishwarya but it would be a great opportunity for me if I’m offered a strong character.

No one would have played the character of Paro better than Aishwarya and I can only hope to do something like that.

Q: Your take on life?
A: I love life and the little jokes they play on you and little hits that they give. I was pretty bad at Maths and I still get night mares that I have to give my Maths exams but when I wake up in the morning I realize that I’m an actress now and I have complete my grads and no longer have to give Maths exams.

The irony of the situation is that when I was in grade 8, I won a math Olympiad competition. The only reason that I won was because it was a multiple choice question and I ticked what ever I liked and stood second in a class which had six sections.

I had won an English novel and liked reading it. Cut to ten years down the line, here I’m doing a film on an English novel and when my mother reminded me about the book, I realized that it was Rebecca.

Q: What would you have done if you were a superwoman?
A: If I would have been a super woman than the first thing that I will do is to get a comfortable suit for myself. I would have also loved to fly. For my country, I would have got rid of bureaucracy and privatisation since I do not support them.

Q: How has been your journey so far?
A: The journey had been pretty good so far. The industry has accepted me with open arms. See people say that I do not have any hit films under my belt, so far but I feel that it all depends on how a person looks at things. One can say that a bottle is half empty or half filled.

Q: Tell us about your future plans.
A: I’m doing a film called Kidnapped and Shourya. The film Shourya is directed by Samar Khan and has Rahul Bose. Kidnapped has been directed by Sanjay Ghadvi.

Rajeev Masand: Aishwarya, first of all congratulations. You are glowing and looking very good.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Thank you very much.

Rajeev Masand: And I am guessing this has more to do with marriage than to do with L’Oreal. (Aishwarya is in Cannes as the brand ambassador of the brand)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: That’s a nice way of looking at it. (laughs)

Rajeev Masand: Now, you have been on a long holiday. It’s been the honeymoon and you have been a while away from home, haven’t you?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Yes, it has been fantastic. It’s probably the best time for any normal girl.

Rajeev Masand: Abhishek is here with you in Cannes. So, is he looking forward to walking the red carpet and just sort of living your life for these few day because Cannes Film Festival is really your home, isn’t it?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: This is where you guys are troublemakers. You just sit and make statements on everything. We are together and it’s not about getting into whose life it is. We are together and we are not getting into judging things the way probably you do. We are here for a day-and-a-half and then we are going to continue with our holiday for a little while more before we get back to a very hectic schedule.

Rajeev Masand: Is this the longest that you have been away from home?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: It’s really interesting but it’s probably the longest time off I have ever had. And what a time! It’s the best time to take time off.

Rajeev Masand: Do you feel married?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: If this is what it is then it’s a fantastic way to be. It’s a wonderful place to be in and it’s happiness for sure.

Rajeev Masand: We are also going to see shortly your film The Last Legion, your English film with Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley. It released in Russia and it’s doing very well apparently. So, you looking forward to its release in India in August?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Yes, August for the rest of the world. For Russia they had already committed at this point of time. But it’s a wonderful feeling to see the film open this positively.

Rajeev Masand: The next film that you are going to go into is Sarkar 2 which you start working on shortly. And this movie unites you with family, as you will be working with father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan and husband Abhishek Bachchan.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Well, it’s family for sure and in that sense it’s great to be spending work time with the people you love. But at the same time as craftsmen our world knows how fantastic they are.

Rajeev Masand: Of course, I am not going to leave you without showing that gorgeous ring that Abhishek gave you.

‘We are happy that the union has taken place. I’m sure there’ll be even more happiness in the house because of Aishwarya.

There were some truly heart-warming moments during the wedding and I’d like to believe they were moments that will remain with us for the rest of our lives,’ Amitabh told IANS in an interview.

On the much-debated guest list, he said: ‘I really couldn’t go beyond the list that we had. And in any case everyone from Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan to Salman Khan have sent good wishes.

‘If we invited all the friends of all the hosts, the guest list would have run into 20,000 people. The family decided that an event like our children’s wedding couldn’t be held in a hotel. It was too impersonal a venue. We decided to have an intimate family gathering.’

Excerpts:

Q: How does it feel to have Aishwarya Rai in the house?

A: It’s wonderful! I’m sure there’ll be even more happiness in the house because of her.

Q: Will Aishwarya assume the Bachchan name on the passport? Would you like a working daughter-in-law?

A: I have no problem with whatever name she keeps. As far as her continuing to work is concerned, Jaya and I have no problem with that. It’s for Aishwarya and Abhishek to decide.

Q: Were you happy with the wedding?

A: Yes, by the grace of god everything went off well. We are happy that the union has taken place. There were some truly heart-warming moments during the wedding and I’d like to believe they were moments that will remain with us for the rest of our lives.

Q: There were many people who felt hurt because they couldn’t come to the wedding.

Here is an excerpt of the interview of Jaya Bachchan by film-maker Karan Johar.

Karan Johar: You were a tremendous support to your husband, and now Abhishek has found someone special, Aishwarya Rai.

Jaya Bachchan: She is lovely. I love her. You know that I have always loved her.

KJ: You think that she is the perfect choice for the family?
JB: I think so. I think that it is wonderful because she is such a big star herself. I have never ever seen her push herself whenever we are all together. I like that quality of hers to stand behind. She is quiet. She listens and she is taking it all in. And another beautiful thing is that she has fitted in so well in the family. She knows who are our good friends. She is doing well.

KJ: Would you say that she is the ideal Mrs Abhishek Bachchan?
JB: I think so.

KJ: I can see that you are really thrilled to have her as a part of the family. However, does that bother you that she is coming with the baggage of a big star and that it could be difficult sometimes?

JB: No, not at all. She is a strong lady with a lot of dignity.

KJ: And that’s how Mrs Abhishek Bachchan definitely needs to be.

JB: I hope so. The minute she comes in it is like our daughter Shweta coming home for Amitji, and he lights up. I think that she will fill the vacuum that Shweta left behind. It is tough to accept that Shweta is not a Bachchan anymore and she is out.

KJ: I am sure that Aishwarya is going to be ideal for the family.
JB: I think so.

Suhasini Haidar: You have won FranceâPound Sterling â„¢s highest civilian awardâPound Sterling ” the Legion d’honneur. What does this honour means to you?

Amitabh Bachchan: Getting this award was a moment of great happiness, joy and pride. More for the fact that France is taking notice of the people in the indian film industry. indian cinema is going global and is gathering foreign clientele. it feels great to know that the French have a very strong affliction towards indian cinema. i hope this enhances our prospects of winning similar awards in other parts of the world.

Suhasini Haidar: You get so many awards. Do you ever get tired of them?

Amitabh Bachchan: No, not at all. Though i donâPound Sterling ™t deserve any of these awards, i understand and appreciate the warmth that goes behind them. i accept them with gratitude and humbleness.

Suhasini Haidar: You said that the French honour shows what india means to the world. if you were to fill in the blankâPound Sterling “âPound Sterling Å“india is rising becauseâPound Sterling ¦âPound Sterling ? what would you say?

Amitabh Bachchan: i think i would go back a few years and say that the whole policy of liberalisation, allowing india open its doors to foreign ventures has greatly enhanced our economy. i believe that as the economy of a country develops, everything about it starts getting noticed, becomes important, valuable and âPound Sterling ˜in vogueâPound Sterling ™. india has suddenly got into the world focus, because of its growing economy. Our food, culture, films, everything is getting noticed. i said in a recent campaign that we are poised to fly high. i believe itâPound Sterling ™s time for us to take off.

Suhasini Haidar:Talking about campaigns, you just did an ad in which you proclaimed pride in your son, Abhishek. Do we expect to see a different side of yoursâPound Sterling ™ emerging out now?

Amitabh Bachchan: i donâPound Sterling ™t think there is anything wrong about a father expressing happiness in his sonâPound Sterling ™s achievements. i liked what he did and i wanted to express it. That is what i have done.

Suhasini Haidar:Should we be reading more of such proud notes, now that you son is ready to step out of your shadow.

Amitabh Bachchan: He was never under my shadow. Seeing him achieve more in life fills me with pride. i just want to enjoy the happiness of my son doing well.

Suhasini Haidar:He is doing well and is all set to get married. We have seen you and your family acknowledge the entry of a new member into the Bachchan familyâPound Sterling “Aishwarya Rai. There have been years when you stayed out of the spot light in terms of your private affairs.

Amitabh Bachchan: To get things in and out of spotlight is up to the media. it is the media that decided to bring us into the spotlight on past few occasions. This is a free country. We all wanted to go to a temple and pray, its as simple as that.

Suhasini Haidar: We have been seeing you a lot at the temples. is that a reconciliation of your faith in God?

Amitabh Bachchan: You are seeing me a lot because that is how iâPound Sterling ™m being projected by the media. We have faith in the unseen power of God. We go to the temples a lot and pray. But these are extremely intimate and personal occasions. The media is a free medium. it is free to project publicly what it wishes to project and draw its own conclusions. Media predictions may not entirely be correct at all the time, but what the heck. Let them do what they want.

Suhasini Haidar: There has been this common belief that a lot of puja that is being performed is actually to solve the astrological defects that hinder Aishwarya -AbhishekâPound Sterling ™s relation.

Amitabh Bachchan: i think that is more media-created than anything else. There is no truth in these rumours at all.

Suhasini Haidar: Were you surprised by all the speculation surrounding the astrological problems in Ash-Abhishek matrimony?

Amitabh Bachchan: Not at all. Media speculation has never taken me by surprise. Abhishek is a prominent person, so is Aishwarya Rai. When public figures do something publicly, it is bound to get noticed. i always tell Abhishek, if you are bugged by that, stop being a celebrity. if you are a celebrity, you are going to be noticed and hence one has to careful of what he does in public. But if you are going to do something in public, be prepared for the fact that people are going to notice you. Media will report what you do and therefore we need to be sure of what we are doing.

Suhasini Haidar: Are you expecting more speculations and media attention as the wedding gets closer?

Amitabh Bachchan: Well, this is something that you people can answer yourself, whether you want to go about finding something you havenâPound Sterling ™t been able to all this while.

Suhasini Haidar: We have heard you talk about your would-be-daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai. This is going to be an interesting association. You are a superstar, your wife is a politician, your daughter is a citizen journalist with CNN-iBN, your son-in-law is an industrialist, your son is a star, and your daughter-in-law is possibly an international star. is it difficult to have all these egos and personalities under one roof?

Amitabh Bachchan: No, its no problem at all. We are just fortunate, its all that i can say.

Suhasini Haidar: A lot of films that you have done, from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, to KANKâPound Sterling “talk about the crumbling family ties. is that something that you too worry about in real life?

Amitabh Bachchan: i think films are influenced by what is happening somewhere in the society. Films have always touched upon important issues and the morals of the society. Every family has its own share of problems. if itâPound Sterling ™s portrayed well on-screen it makes good cinema.

Suhasini Haidar: How do you keep your own family together?

Amitabh Bachchan: Why should i tell you that?

Suhasini Haidar: Tell us about your forthcoming projectsâPound Sterling “Nishabd and Cheeni Kum where you play a much older man, attracted towards women much younger to him.

Amitabh Bachchan: Nishabd is about the attraction between an 18-year-old girl and an elderly man in his 60s. The girl is in fact his daughterâPound Sterling â„¢s friend who comes over to his house for a holiday but ends up getting into a relationship with him. Contrary to media speculation, the film is not a remake of the famous novel Lolita. However, it does deals with a sensitive subject that explores the attraction between a 60-year- old man and a young girl of 18. i am happy about the film, i think that Ram Gopal Varma the director of the film associated more with action films has treated the subject in a dignified, subtle manner. He has portrayed it in a very sensitive manner, there is no physicality or sexual overtones in the filmâ Pound Sterling “just a very peculiar situation and how does one deals with it. That is the beauty of the film. Cheeni Kum is also about attraction, though on a much lighter scale. As the title suggests, it portrays a sugar-less romance. in fact the man that i play here is even older than the girlâPound Sterling â„¢s father and that is how the light-hearted romance turns strange.

Suhasini Haidar: How difficult was it for you to give up Kaun Banega Crorepati?

Amitabh Bachchan: i could not do KBC because i fell ill and needed time to recover. My health problems disturbed even the shooting schedule of my films. Many of my films were left unfinished at a critical point. i had to finish them first and by the time i got down to thinking about KBC, time had passed. it was in fact getting a little monotonous and routine for me and it was a bit boring too for me to keep doing the same thing again and again. i had completed 350 episodes at a stretch and wasnâPound Sterling ™t getting butterflies in my stomach anymore. There was no anxiety getting into the same chair again. So, i decided not to do it.

Suhasini Haidar: What do you think about the new KBC?

Amitabh Bachchan: i havenâPound Sterling ™t seen it as yet. But iâPound Sterling ™m sure that Shah Rukh is doing a great job.

Suhasini Haidar: Are you baffled by the comparisons that are being made between you and Shah Rukh Khan?

Amitabh Bachchan: itâPound Sterling ™s a mediaâPound Sterling ™s job not mine really to make comparisons or feel baffled by them.

Suhasini Haidar: You said that you still feel âPound Sterling ˜butterflies in your stomachâPound Sterling ™ sometimes. What is it really that makes you feel like that?

Amitabh Bachchan: Everything about tomorrow sends butterflies in my stomach. What kind of role am i playing, how would i face the camera, will i be able to say my lines correctly, will i do 125 retakesâPound Sterling “all these question still make me nervous.

Suhasini Haidar: You lent your voice to Oscar winning French documentary March of the Penguins. Are we going to see you stepping out of Bollywood more and more?

Amitabh Bachchan: Anything that is creatively challenging interests me. So did the film March of the Penguins. itâPound Sterling ™s a beautiful story, exquisitely shot. They wanted me to use my voice in both Hindi as well as English version of the film. itâPound Sterling ™s very interesting to express emotions of characters and events that have no words in a film. i happy that people liked my way of expression in the film. Hope more people become fond of it when the film releases.

Suhasini Haidar: What do you do when you are not doing films?

Amitabh Bachchan: i give interviews.

Suhasini Haidar: People often talk about the three AâPound Sterling â„¢sâPound Sterling “Amitabh, Amar Singh and Anil Ambani. All three of you are of different age group, careers and areas of power. What is it really that is common between the three of you?

Amitabh Bachchan: We are friends. When it comes to friendship, age, career, profession does not matters. DonâPound Sterling ™t you have friends who are not journalists? its similar to that.

Suhasini Haidar: You have always ruled out your interest in either business or politics.

Amitabh Bachchan: Yes, thatâPound Sterling ™s true. iâPound Sterling ™m not meant for either of the two streams.

Suhasini Haidar: Strange that you have always distanced yourself from being directly involved into politics and yet you are seen in promotional ads for Uttar Pradesh apparently a favour to your friend and politician Mulayam Singh.

Amitabh Bachchan: i have featured in that ad because iâPound Sterling ™m the brand ambassador appointed by the Uttar Pradesh Development Council. its my job to propagate Uttar Pradesh. But apart from that i belong to the state iâPound Sterling ™m prmoting so much. i was born and brought up in Uttar Pradesh, seven generations of our family have lived in UP. i invite people to come an invest in UP, and see how its progressing.

Suhasini Haidar: But then why do you distance yourself from contesting elections from that state?

Amitabh Bachchan: i do not regret stepping back from politics. My getting into politics was an emotional decision. i think i failed in politics because i was unqualified for the job. Therefore i chose to withdrew.

Suhasini Haidar: Your wifeâPound Sterling “Jaya Bachchan has been doing reasonable well in politics. What do you have to say about that?

Amitabh Bachchan: She is not much of a politician in the real sense. She is a nominated member to the Rajya Sabha. She likes going to the Parliament, asking questions there and getting replies.

Suhasini Haidar: if she were to stand in elections, would you campaign for her?

Amitabh Bachchan: i donâPound Sterling ™t think she would contest the elections.

Suhasini Haidar: After achieving so much in life, is there still an unfulfilled dream?

Amitabh Bachchan: You never know. Tomorrow is another day. Life brings newer challenges and that is what makes it exciting. i look forward to opportunities and fresh challenges. i wouldnâPound Sterling ™t say that iâPound Sterling ™m fully satisfied with life because a creative person never gets fully satisfied with anything.

Nine years ago Mani Ratnam had offered me a role in his film iruvar but i was unable to do it because he wanted me to cut my hair short. it wasn’t possible for me as i was already shooting for another film, which required me to keep my hair long to maintain continuity. i’m glad that we have finally worked together. He thought i fitted the character of Manik Dasgupta, who is a newspaper baron and loves Gurukant (Abhishek) like his own son. He is a crusader who helps Gurukant reach the heights. But he also goes against Gurukant when he treads the wrong path.

How did the shooting of Guru go?

We shot the film in Chennai. i would order my lunch from a Bengali restaurant called Annapurna, as i always order food from there whenever i’m shooting in Chennai. One day i offered food to everyone on the sets before starting my meal and everyone just loved it. The next day onwards, the entire unit was eating from Annapurna. There used to be alu posto, potoler dolma, machher kofta, kosha mangsho and aamer chutney. Abhishek knew how to mix the food since his mother (Jaya) is Bengali, but i had to teach Ash (Aishwarya) how to eat and what order to follow. Most people like cooking but i get a high and a lot of satisfaction treating people to good food!

What was your experience of working with Mani Ratnam?

it was a real pleasure. Mani Ratnam is someone i can actually call an actor’s director. No matter how long you may have been working as an actor, you cannot go beyond the character that is etched out for you and Mani Ratnam knows how to guide you and bring out precisely what he needs in a particular scene. it was simply a treat to work with a director like him and i must admit that he is by far one of the best film-makers i’ve worked with till date.

How were your co-stars in the film?

i have known Abhishek since the time he was born and it makes me proud to see how mature an actor he has turned out to be today. it was great fun working with him. He has a great sense of humour, he’s always jovial and cracking jokes. But what i like the most about him is that he knows how to respect his seniors.

Aishwarya is such a loveable darling and Vidya is a great actress with a lot of potential. i have to admit that all of them have a lot of regard for senior actors, which i think is great.

After this intense role in Guru, are you keen on doing more character roles?

No, not at all! i’ll do any role that feels close to my heart and makes me happy. i have always been open to a variety of roles, be it comedy or action. As long as i know what suits me and the director knows what he wants from me, i’m game for anything.

What are your forthcoming projects and releases?

i have done a film with Hansal Mehta, about a mafia family, called Raakh starring Sohail Khan and ishaa Koppikar. it should release by early March. Haranath Chakraborty’s Toofan should also release sometime soon. in February, i’ll be working for two more Bengali films – one by Anup Dasgupta co-starring Debasree and then MLA Fatakeshto 2.

How is MLA Fatakeshto-2 shaping up?

i’m quite excited about it and waiting to start shooting by February-end. You have to wait and watch. i’m not going to say anything now because it’s going to be a surprise for all.

A did do a couple of them, however, with the mantra being safety first. We did push ourselves to experience the adrenaline rush, because that’s what makes it super exciting in terms of what you deliver and what the audience gets to actually experience on screen. The high point was at Orabi Gorge, where we had the bungee jump. There’s this one moment where Hrithik’s character Aryan challenges Sunehri (my character) to jump, and she goes for it.

That was an absolute high. i’ve never experienced literally jumping off the edge; it’s like jumping off a diving board. it was quite a moment for both Hrithik and me, because just next to us, there was a trickle of waterfall. So we could actually see water drops going down in slow motion!

Are you playing a negative role in Dhoom:2?

i guess assumptions are fine, because it keeps the curiosity about the film alive. But i won’t define my character as negative or positive, because she’s a livewire, and has a personality that’s just typically her.

it was definitely exciting for me to discover and deliver Sunehri. One moment she’s exuding excitement, in another she’s hero-worshipping Mr A (Hrithik Roshan), and the next she’s challenging him. in that sense, just like Mr A, even Sunehri will take the audience a while to figure out.

The process of etching out nuances of each character was something we brought to the table as a team, right from the director to the stylist.

This is your first film with Hrithik and Bipasha; how was the experience of working with them?

Superlative! Abhishek, Uday and Hrithik know each other since childhood. They’d constantly share anecdotes on the sets. i must say Bipasha’s a really cool girl, and i am glad we were a team on this film, because the camaraderie was genuine. The team was great and i say that especially of my co-star, Hrithik. We even did a world tour and a commercial together. Earlier, i guess both of us were psyched by our perception of each other as being extremely professional, detailed, and almost obsessive about work.

What did you think of Dhoom?

it was definitely a cluster breaker and a family entertainment film.

it’s good to know that Dhoom was well embraced. So i feel that the idea of Dhoom:2 is brilliant, and Adi knew what he was doing when he came up with this idea. The pulse and pace of this movie will be universally enjoyed.

With so several of your releases lined up, what makes Dhoom:2 special?

The fact that it’s happening in the tenth year of my film career! There have been many offers to do roles that are westernized, but i have been very choosy.

This was a tough offer to resist. it offered me the opportunity to play an out-and-out westernized character, which was youth oriented, trend setting, fashionable and fun. Yes, i chose to project myself in a way i’ve never been portrayed before, because i felt it was natural and went with the language of the film.

Did you do any kind of special preparation for the role?

The visual was very imperative, as a pre-requisite, and it’s something we as a team agreed we’d work on.

Here, it zeroed in on the physical appearance in terms of fitness, and since i was going to dress a certain way, i needed to be the person who wore those clothes. People who have well toned bodies, naturally dress a certain way. When you’ve really worked on your midriff, you are happy to wear shorter tops; when you have worked on your legs, you naturally wear short skirts, because you are likely to feel natural and comfortable in those clothes. So that was a body type that i was determined to work on. i was very glad to discover that when i get down to working out, my body responded very quickly.

i had worked with the stylist for Dhoom:2, Anaita, several times before, when i was modeling. So she knows my body type, my aesthetics, my comfort level and me. The clothing seems natural and very me, even though i will be seen for the first time in a western mould.

We’ve also experimented with the make up and styling. i worked with Subbu, who i know from my advertising and modeling days. We did a one-day test shoot with my dear friend Farooque and once we arrived at Sunehri’s look, she was ready to go on set. Obviously the final nod came from Adi.

While we knew that the visual aspect of the character was very important, we made sure the personality and mannerisms were also very specific to the character.

Were you uncomfortable with the idea of wearing skimpy clothes?

if you do find Sunehri sexy, she just is, she isn’t someone who’s working to turn the heat on in every frame. i thought it was great that wearing shorts or short skirts, dressing a certain way, was just natural to the character.

i don’t need to resort to tactics to get attention, thank you very much! i have more than my fair share of it even in my saris! it’s not something i needed to explore for the sake of the apparent, it was a definite character created, and it’s just the language of the entire film.

We’ve shot in Rio, where it was only natural to be dressed a certain way.

What was the best moment during the course of shooting the film?

i must confess i thoroughly enjoyed the team, off-screen as well. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of fun. There has been a lot of talk about the fitness regime, but that’s something i focused on only a month or so before the shooting of the film.

Both Abhishek and i had to gain weight for Mani Ratnam’s Guru. So i suggested we take Deepika (the fitness instructor) with us to do whatever we could a few weeks before the shoot.

The fun part was that every body would be in the gym, not just the actors. We’d be sincere, but then make plans for dinners, and convince ourselves that what we eat will show only 20 days later.

Time and tide will be able to define the strength of the friendships, but nevertheless, our bonding definitely went beyond being co-stars. And that is something i really cherish.

How was the experience of shooting on South Africa?

South Africa has a very special place in my heart. i won my title in Sun City at Johannesburg. i’ve also shot a couple of films like Dil Ka Rishta there, so my memories of the place are very warm.

Even the year i was giving up the title, when Amitji was on the panel of the jury, it was overwhelming to see the strength with which our people had descended to Sun City and the applause that he was rendered with.

it was great fun going back there and shooting for Dhoom:2. i am glad that every time i’ve gone there, whether for shooting or a pageant, i’ve come back with super success. So i guess that’s a good sign.

What next? Can we expect to see you in more action films?

There’s Guru and Provoked. Pre Dhoom:2, i made Last Legion opposite Colin Firth, where i play a warrior. The film has action, and i had to learn how to sword fight.

So that was technically my first experience in the action genre. i am glad that within the last year and now, i have actually done action scenes set both in ancient Rome and in contemporary biker times. i keep teasing that now i have tasted blood, and i can’t wait to have more such experiences.

That’s the most fantastic part of our job; we get to experience things that people just think or dream about. We get to experience life through our filmmaking and i think that’s a blessing.

Dhoom 2, on the contrary, is an action flick that has the leading lady in an edgy role as a thief alongside Hrithik Roshan – her first time working on a film with the star of the recent superhero hit Krrish.

Appearing in both movies are Abhishek Bachchan, the man hotly tipped to be Ash’s future husband.

Ash talks about her latest roles:

You’ll give audiences a culture shock when you go from the traditional Umrao Jaan to the hip-and-cool Dhoom 2 within a short time.

i don’t play the typical “Mona Darling” in Dhoom 2. i play this petty thief who thinks she’s pretty cool and very smart – a sassy girl who wants to be among the action guys.

There are high expectations of Dhoom 2. interestingly, my acting career has largely been devoted to traditionally indian roles. And i do love being in a sari. i find it very comfortable. And i’ve worn it at both national and international events with great pride.

You’ve made the sari fashionable at international events. Even Oprah Winfrey wore it (Ash was a guest on the famous talk show of the American host last year.)

That was too much, wasn’t it? Yes, i’ve worn the sari, even to Cannes when i went there with Sanjay Bhansali and Shah Rukh (Khan) for Devdas. Strangely when i came in through the modelling-Miss World route, people presumed i’d fit into Westernised roles.

To my delight most of my roles, from my first film iruvar to Umrao Jaan, have been very, very indian. And i’m proud of it. But now Dhoom 2 gives me a chance to be more cosmopolitan on screen. i like that as well.

Was it difficult to shift into the Dhoom mode after acting in Umrao?

Not at all. in fact i’m again very, very indian in my post-Dhoom release, Guru. The varied roles are a blessing. it doesn’t happen very often in this industry, and certainly not to us female actors. i’ve tried to remain versatile from the start of my career. But wanting something isn’t the same as getting it – opportunities like Umrao Jaan, Dhoom 2, Guru and now Jodha Akbar. it’s very flattering to know that directors like J.P. (Dutta), Mani (Ratnam) and Ashutosh (Gowariker) consider me for such hugely challenging parts.

Hrithik thinks the two of you make the best-looking couple.

That’s very sweet of him. The audience will have to decide how good we look together. But i certainly enjoyed working with Hrithik. Yes, at one time there was a hesitation about casting us together because we were said to have similar skin tones and eyes. But when we finally shot together, everything just fell into place.

On the first day of Dhoom, a deafening silence fell over the set at the end of our shoot. Then Sanjay Gadhvi (the director) came up to us and said: “Everybody is stunned. You guys are looking great together.”

Would you say Abhishek and Hrithik are very different in their approach to their roles?

i had worked with Hrithik earlier, during a world tour. Hrithik himself says he has loosened up a lot since then. He had lots of fun in Dhoom 2. As for Abhishek, i’ve known him much, much longer. He’s always having fun on the sets. it relaxes him and makes the working atmosphere far more convivial.