In 2007, my life changed forever. I signed on Tashan, a full-on glamorous masala movie, with two of the hottest and fittest actors around: Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan. And me, rising out of the sea like a Bond girl, wearing nothing but a green bikini. I had nightmares of how my love handles would be on display for the whole world to see.

Frankly, we actresses are so much in a hurry. We feel we have very few years to shine in our career, so we neglect our personal life. But for me, both aspects are equally important. I don't want to grow old and have regrets.

It is important to be well read, at least a little bit.

I don't want the national award... I seriously do not need any such thing. I would only want the audience to go and watch the film once and that will be more than enough for me. Once everybody should see the movie and say it is a good watch.

Over the years of courtship and being together, we realized that there was no value left for anything. People just want to know what we're eating, which designer I'm wearing, who we've invited... Saif and I decided that we wanted to keep the purest part of our relationship sacred. We followed protocol by going out on to the terrace and waving at the media after officially registering the marriage, but they didn't need to know more than that.

I have always been in a relationship. I don't remember the time when I wasn't in one

Films don't decide my whole life. They are just a part of who I am. What I do in my personal life should be of no concern to the filmmakers or the fans.