My father is conservative but has always supported my decisions. He lets me take my own decisions. His only condition while allowing me to come to Mumbai was that my mother must accompany me.

If more girls are educated, all of India stands to gain. The Girl Rising campaign aims to address that through various innovative initiatives that will not only help create awareness but also create a tangible platform to effect change.

I was obsessed with Tupac - like eat, sleep, breathe Tupac. During this obsessive love affair, I dressed the part.

I'm lucky. I don't know whether I'm deserving or not. All I know is that I work damn hard for everything. And God helps those who help themselves. Every day is like an exam. I believe destiny and hard work go hand in hand. I was studying to be an engineer when my mom and my brother sent my pictures for the Miss India contest. I didn't even know about it. If that isn't destiny, what is?

Strength of character is already written. What we bring, as an actor, is an almost 3D-ness to it.

I'm a tough girl, I know what my job entails - it entails a lot more than standing in front of the camera. So I get it. I won't deny the physicality of it is exhausting, and sometimes my body just can't keep up. But it is ultimately about mind over matter.

The world, the way we look at women and sexuality, is what needs to change - not our behavior, not who we are, not what we say. It's the intentions that should change. It's the mind-set. Otherwise, we're just going to be a completely confused society with not knowing what to say to one another. The mind-set of when you meet a woman is that you should try and get to know her.