Amrita Rao in Shikhar

Where have you been all these months?

I know I have been away from the big screen for a long, long time. Now, it has come to a point that people are asking me, ?When can we see you in movies again?? But after Main Hoon Na, I got so much critical and media acclaim that I didn?t want to do just about any project even though I got a lot of offers. So I chose to work with only good directors like John Matthew Matthan and Mahesh Manjrekar.

So, now you have two releases in three Fridays?

(Laughs) I am making up for all the time that I have been missing from the scene. But seriously speaking, you cannot calculate things in this industry even if you want to. So, God keeps planning things for me.

Your last release Deewaar didn?t do well at the box-office and even your role was chopped off at the editing table?

As an audience member, I think the script of Deewaar went wrong somewhere. The finishing touches to the movie didn?t happen as planned. For me personally, it was a bonus to be part of a film like that. The beautiful song that was picturised on me, Piya bawri, got me a lot of compliments from my fans and also from the industry. Sushmita Sen called me to say how good I looked in the song. So, I have no regrets for doing Deewaar.

What was it like doing a fantasy film like Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi?

It is essentially a fantasy film but it?s also a romantic movie and it gave me the liberty of playing a conventional Bollywood heroine. Till date, for movies like Ishq Vishk, Main Hoon Na and Legend of Bhagat Singh, I have had to stick within the parameters of my character. So I could never have four costume changes and several hairstyles in a single song. But in Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi, I could do everything that I have seen other actresses do while I was growing up. I would love to do a film like this every once in a while as long as I have a serious movie like Shikhar along with it.

Isn?t Shikhar mainly a man-versus-man movie?

That?s how the film is being promoted. But it is ultimately about how somewhere everybody?s dreams clash with each other. I have a very important character-oriented role in Shikhar. It started out as a commercial film but it?s turned out to be a very intelligent and smart film. It?s got a lovely message which it spreads without being preachy.

You are paired with Shahid Kapur in almost every film?

The two of us have had only one release till date, Ishq Vishk. But yes, we have three films lined up. We both have been extremely fortunate as newcomers when we got accepted by the media and the industry without having any prior backing. And yes, there has always been a genuine response to our pairing. If our coming together works for the commercial aspect of a film, half the battle is won. So it?s like a win-win situation for both of us.

Apart from Shikhar and Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi, you two will also be seen in Sooraj Barjatya?s next film?

Yes, getting to work with the Barjatyas is definitely an opportunity to take two steps forward. It?s a huge platform and a very nice role. And ultimately the story is about a boy and a girl. I really couldn?t have been more fortunate. I have got this offer at a very critical stage of my life. I am really excited and I start shooting for the movie from December 9.

In which other films would we see you in?

There?s a film called My Name Is Anthony Gonzalves and then there?s Indra Kumar?s Pyaare Mohan.