Can you read a man’s gaze?

No doubt I have a sexy image but I also have a strongly developed intellectual side which people find impossible to escape, especially when they meet me. I could easily write a book on men — they are like kids.

But you enjoy male attention, don’t you?

I think it’s the ultimate compliment for a woman but there has always been a sharm ka purdah from the men’s side as far as I am concerned. They invariably camouflage their feelings under a flattering compliment.

Do you feel it would be interesting if men were more open about their feelings for you?

No, I’ve not got that desperate (laughs). Besides, if the shoe was on the other foot, I wouldn’t go up to a man and tell him that I am bowled over by him, either. I think I would die a hundred deaths before I did that.

When a girl is a teenager, many men tell her she is pretty. When she crosses 30 and looks fetching, they tell her you are ‘still’ pretty. Comment...

Unfortunately, most Indian men think that a woman is past her prime after 30, whereas in the West, women blossom at this age. You may be 30, married, a mother of two and … sensuous! Both Waheeda Rehman (with whom I have worked) and Rekha fascinate me.

Like most Indian girls, you must be under constant pressure from your parents to get married.

Quite honestly, I don’t care. Nobody can pressurise me. Luckily, my father and mother are very supportive. A career woman’s life is so demanding, she can’t do justice to both her married life and career (films). Besides, you have to meet the right man. I don’t want to chase love, I will wait for it to happen.

Can you imagine yourself in an arranged marriage?

No. Even when I do a film, I like to know the people I am working with. I would like to send out a message to all fathers and mothers out there —don’t pressurise your daughters to get married.

Do you believe in the concept of a soulmate?

I don’t know if a soulmate really exists but I am a die-hard romantic. I love films like Sleepless in Seattle and this whole concept of bottles containing love notes floating mid-sea. I believe in love and completely unreasonable attractions. But for now I am fancy free and footloose.

Do you sometimes feel the need to be recognised as a person rather than as a woman?

I would take it as an insult to my womanhood if men didn’t relate to me as a woman. I feel flattered when a man connects with me because I am a woman.

Tell me, how much does your sense of self esteem come from the way a director assesses you as an actress.

I think I’ll go insane the day I need to look into another’s eyes to assess myself. I draw on myself for my self-esteem and it reflects in the way people view me. Every director I have worked with has been fascinated by my passion for work.

Do you think men with sisters are more considerate to other women?

Definitely, and also a man who is connected with his mother. I would love to live with my mother-in-law. I guess it stems from the fact that I am happy with my own womanhood. A man who is connected with his mother (whether she is alive or dead) is always going to be in touch with his sensitive side.

You must like Abhishek Bachchan a lot!

(Laughs) Yeah, he is again one of those people who is extremely well brought up.

What if the man gives more attention to his mother than to you?

If he is smart, he won’t do that. Besides, I am confident about handling such a situation.

If you love a guy tomorrow and he lays down a diktat: ‘No more sexy dance numbers’. Would you agree?

If I am madly in love with him, I will. I place love above everything else. But it hasn’t happened (laughs).