What is your role in Ashta Vinayak’s Golmaal Returns?

I play the role of a housewife called Ekta, who likes Ekta Kapoor'’s serials. It is a very relaxed role. Ajay Devgan plays the role of my husband in the film, while Tusshar Kapoor plays my brother. Though in real life I am more of a cinema fan and even sit late in the nights to watch Hindi films, I was comfortable playing the role of a TV serial addict in Golmaal Returns.

All said and done, Golmaal Returns directed by Rohit Shetty and also starring Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Arora and Celina Jaitley besides Ajay, Tusshar and myself, is an out and out fun film.

Which film according to you has turned out to be the turning point as far as your career is concerned?

Undoubtedly it is Jab We Met directed by Imtiaz Ali which is the turning point of my career as an actress. I should say with due respect to the directors of my films like Omkara and Chameli that though they were special films, it was Jab We Met alone which fit me like a glove and I’d have been disappointed a lot if the film had not fetched me awards for acting.

Which are your forthcoming films?

I have a whole lot of films which are being lined up for release this year, one after the other. They are Yash Chopra’s Tashan in which my co-stars are Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal Returns, Sajid Nadiadwala’s Khambaqt Ishq, Salman Khan’s home production directed by Prem Soni called My Aur Mrs Khanna, Karan Johar’s film with Saif and me, and last but not the least Roomi Jaffrey’s film with John Abraham and me. I may also be acting in Rajkumar Hirani’s next film.

Aren’t you doing one more film with Saif?

Yes. I have also signed a film with Saif for director Renzel D’Sylva. It is quite a hard hitting role as far as I am concerned. I look forward to doing that film with Saif, after Tashan.

Is your film with John Abraham a love story?

Yes. The film, which I am going to do with John Abraham as my leading man for Asthavinayak, is a very nice love story. It will be shot in the exotic locales of both New Zealand and Spain.

You have tasted success as well as failure. How seriously do you take them?

I have never taken the success or failure of my films too seriously. I do not want to sound clichéd or for that matter hackneyed but the fact is that I make it a point to take only acting seriously. I love being on the sets 24/7.
The script writer is not God and hence not every film of mine can turn out to be great. I do not expect the audience to like every movie of mine.

You have become the No 1 actress who is paid the maximum in Bollywood. Is Hollywood your next destination?

I do not want to waste my money on a Hollywood agent. I’d rather go on a long holiday abroad than waste my time and energy and money on trying to make it in Hollywood.

You had turned a vegetarian during your Shahid phase. Is it true that after Saif’s entry in your life, you have turned a non vegetarian once again?

Bull****. I am not only a pucca vegetarian but also a teetotaler.

You seem to have become quite thin of late. How did you manage to shed your extra pounds?

 I do yoga every day. I also work out every day. Though to get into the skin of my characters in both Golmaal Returns and Salman Khan'’s film, I did not need to be like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, I needed to be in total shape for my character in Tashan.

What is your role in Tashan?

I am not allowed to divulge details about the role which I am essaying in Tashan. All that I can say that it is great to do a nice role which is power packed like in Tashan.

If you see Tashan, I bet you’d be shocked that the same Kareena Kapoor has done a role like that of the lass from Bhatinda in Jab We Met. I would go even to the extent of stating that a role like the one I am playing in Tashan has not come on the Indian screen till date. It is a role which any actor would die for. I did the role as a challenge.

Do you think people have greater expectations from you as an actress after the critical appreciation that you received for your performance in Jab We Met?

Yes. You can say that. I now realise that though I have always done only roles where I have to do something unless and until it is a guest appearance for a friend like Shah Rukh Khan in Don, or for that matter Lovely Singh who had assisted Satish Kaushik in my first film Mujhe Kuchch Kehna Hai, in his debut film as a director-Kya Love Story Hai. 

I have to be more careful after the success of Jab We Met.

Do you have reservations about doing different genres of films?

If I had reservations, do you think would have ended up doing films like Chameli earlier which was in contrast to the kind of roles which I was doing at that point time and Jab We Met? I do not think any big actress would have agreed to do a role like the ones I did in ether Chameli or Jab We Met.