My ambition when I was four years old was to be married.

Everything isn't perfect.

If my film does not do well, it really hurts me. But by God's grace, even if some of my films may not have done well, people have still liked my work in it.

Every character that I play, even if it's a homemaker, there is an inherent, innate strength in her - you can find strength in every facet of a female personality. It doesn't just come from the physical strength of a woman.

The great thing about cinema is that it's a great binder. It brings people from across the world together, often erasing the lines between geographies, languages, familiarity, and the like. Cinema is art and art, they say, is a reflection of life and society, so the way we tell our stories is the main differentiator for me.

When I became Miss World, I couldn't believe I had won it. I used to sleep with my crown because I was scared someone would steal it. In a minute the world changed for me.

I did not want to be the stereotype of either Bollywood or what Indian actors are usually offered. The exotic, beautiful girl, or the academically inclined nerd. And I wanted to play a lead... I didn't settle for less.