VIDYA BALAN

Life has been kind to me. I am happy with the love and appreciation that I have been getting throughout my career. I feel blessed.

From Shakespeare to Robi Thakur, everyone has written stories about people and incidents around them. There is no creativity minus reality irrespective of how flowery or abstract you make it.

I remember someone telling me that when he saw the back of a woman's head, he knew that was the woman he was going marry. I laughed that away as silly talk. But I guess when a relationship has to happen, it happens seamlessly. Your partner just walks into your life.

I think the beautiful thing about the past is that it leads you to the present.

It's never been difficult for me to say no. I have never given excuses like I don't have dates. I have never over-quoted to avoid a project. I simply say that while the script might be good, I can't connect with it. My strategy is that while I wouldn't want anyone to waste my time, I shouldn't be doing that, either, with others.

I don't think my competition is with the heroes. I don't think I'm competing with anyone. I don't mean to sound Zen, but genuinely, when I stopped competing with anything is when I started enjoying my work, and that brought out the best in me. I'm living in a universe of my own, and I'm enjoying that. I love to appreciate other people's work.

My so-called bad dress-sense phase happened when I was confused - I think I was taking advice all too often, without listening to my inner voice. Add to the fact that I was a little overweight; so every wrong 'outfit' got compounded all that much.

Sexuality, desirability has nothing to do with body type. It has to do with how you feel from within. I was at my fattest best in 'The Dirty Picture,' and I was called the most desirable. So there you go. I am quite well-endowed, so I have no complaints.

A painter once told me that I'm like the Khajuraho, which you see once but which remains with you forever. I thought that was exquisite.

Weight used to be an issue. I was always fat as a child. And everyone used to tell me, 'You've got such a pretty face; why don't you lose some weight?' Over the years I've realised that my body is a certain type, and I have learned to accept it.

All over the world, people are looking at India and saying 'wow', and that's because we have begun to say 'wow' ourselves.

I was a happy person before marriage. I'm definitely happier after marriage.

Black coffee is the latest fad I have picked up. Then there are my endless cups of chai! I'm trying to cut down and keep it to no more than three cups a day.

The stakes are high on every film now because there's the opening weekend. The first week is extremely crucial; increasingly, films are being judged in terms of opening day, opening weekend, then first week. People are going berserk promoting their films.

As women, we are constantly criticising and judging ourselves in terms of our body, how we dress, what profession we take up, how we fare in that. Indian women are gifted with certain body types and features, which is healthy, and we should accept that.

Marriage is something I'd recommend everyone to try, if you find the right person, of course.

I take one day at a time. I am not someone to define my goals.

Only conviction sells. Well, when we are insecure, we really don't have that 100 percent conviction. Once we have it, we can tide over everything.

Fortunately, I've never been very conscious and inhibited of what I have to do. The camera's my soul mate.

There will always be a slight difference between the reel and the real. Even my family might know 99 per cent about me, but there will be this one per cent about me that nobody will ever know. Being in this profession, I am fine with biopics or movies inspired by real-life-characters.

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

I am vegetarian. I have a sweet tooth, so I try and avoid desserts. I binge maybe once a month. I eat every two hours, whether it is a Marie biscuit or just a slice of apple. As a result, my metabolism has improved, and this is a huge contributor to weight loss.

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.

I'm someone who believes in 'live and let live,' and that applies to everything.

I like all things natural, and I love being Indian. So clothes-wise, I love wearing Indian. Does my wearing a salwar kameez instead of a dress make me less of an actor, less of a person?