I have done some tacky films, but then they were all my decisions, and I'm happy to have made those because they have made me who I am.

I have been called 'Bongshell' the day I stepped into showbiz. So, any adjective coming my way, I take it positively. Sometimes it's also entertaining, but I don't feel bad about it. I'm a proud woman.

I would never put on 20 kilos and mess up my system because a role demands it. Hindi cinema doesn't offer you roles that get you an Oscar, anyway. Tom Hanks can do it in Hollywood; not us.

As a child, I was a brat, and my parents didn't know how to control me. So they told me ghost stories, which stayed with me. I am still petrified of darkness and being alone.

I can't let the baggage of my private life get into work. Artists are more fragile than normal people. But I know that I am a role model for zillions of people, so no matter how deep you are hurting, you need to come out strong.

If I want to be the sexy Bipasha Basu, then I'll do a song here or a glam role there. But I want to be part of films that are watched, films that earn money and are new age, with author-backed roles.

Unless I work with Shah Rukh my career cannot be complete. I can't hang my boots till that happens.