I have never thought of winning an Oscar. Rather, I never thought I would get the Padma Shri. I think God has been kind to me. I think getting Oscar award is not too far away.

I have enjoyed the success my work has brought me. Some might say I haven't really struggled to be successful. I think it is my perspective that is utopian. My state of mind is positive and peaceful. And I dare to dream.

I eat every two hours. I sleep for eight hours. I have lots of water. I pray to keep calm. Most importantly, I have a smile on my face.

Some people warned me against getting married soon. They said your career will end if you do. I felt I wanted to marry Siddharth (Roy Kapur) and I went ahead and married him. And I guess he felt like he wanted to marry me, so we are married today. If I hadn’t felt it for the next ten years probably I wouldn’t have got married. There is no right time. There’s never a right time.

I think a woman should be wholesome, voluptuous and sizzling!

It’s a most natural way for me. I can tell people I can run in a saree and I can do five sequences in a saree. I can romance in a saree and I can do everything in a saree. For me, it’s a most versatile garment…it’s extremely sensuous and at the same time it is strong, there is an elegance and at the same time it teases your imagination…It’s very powerful.

Being traditional is a choice for me. South Indian families bring up their children with a sense of freedom, self-respect and self-value. We do whatever we have to with earnestness and honesty, including being uninhibited. Yet we hold onto our roots.