Bárbara Mori can’t believe it. The actress — who starred with Hrithik Roshan in a Hindi film that sank before it could swim — is still making waves in India. Recently, some theatres screened the Mexican actress’s film The Spanish Beauty, dubbed from the Spanish original La Mujer De Mi Hermano into Hindi and English.

“I am really happy. I couldn’t believe that my movie was releasing in India after so many years. It means people still want to see me there and it feels great,” she says, speaking from Mexico where she is in the midst of a tour of Latin America to promote her play El Coleccionista.

The 2005 movie’s plot revolves around marital infidelity. Mori plays the role of an emotionally fragile woman who yearns for love and not finding it from her husband strays into the arms of his brother. “I did the movie because when I read the script I really liked it. It was a difficult role. The woman I play is very weak emotionally. She is afraid to be alone. And when she does not get the desired love from her husband, she goes the other way to fulfil her desires. I guess it was a very interesting role and that drew me to it.”

Infidelity was the buzzword when Mori was shooting for Kites. Tabloids were abuzz with innuendos about a budding romance between her and Roshan. She doesn’t refer to the rumours, but decries gossip mongers. “Some people will always keep talking. In Mexico too it is the same. People just talk and talk. They know about our lives because we are famous, but they have no right to judge us with whatever limited information they have. Nobody can judge anybody; everyone is an individual.”

Mori, whose perfect body spawned fan clubs in the subcontinent after Kites, even though the film itself flopped, is clearly unwilling to sever links with India. She has fond memories of Bollywood, and says she shares a great rapport with Roshan and his wife Suzanne. “I love Hrithik’s family,” she gushes.

Professionally, though, Kites has not opened doors for her in Bollywood. Mori stresses she would love to work in Hindi films, but admits that no offers have come her way so far. When she was in Mumbai, director Anurag Basu spoke to her about a script, but she adds she has not been able to follow up on that.

Till then, what excites her is the film that was screened in India — with its theme of adultery. “In our lives we see a lot of infidelity. So when you see a movie which revolves around a story similar to yours, you can relate to it. Infidelity and adultery are universal. When people watch something which is akin to what is happening to them, obviously they like it. They feel like they are watching their own lives,” Mori holds.

When quizzed about her personal take on the subject of marital infidelity though, Mori has a different viewpoint, “Personally, I think when you are with somebody in a relationship you should always be truthful. I understand that at times when you don’t get what you want in your relationship infidelity crops up unintentionally. We are humans and we make mistakes. But we should own up to them and always be honest with our partner. Lying or pretending is something which I don’t agree with at any cost.”

So is honesty in a relationship important to her? “Oh! It is one of the most important things for me,” she exclaims. “Love and affection do matter but honesty or trust is the most significant factor. I have lived my entire life with honesty and truth and expect the same from people around me.”

Mori’s own life experiences, whether as a young mother at 19, divorced at 22, a single mother since then, or as a cancer survivor, have made her a much stronger person. “According to me everything happens for a reason,” she philosophises. “It (the divorce) happened because I was not in love any more. I live on my own terms. I hate it when society interferes. It’s my life and it really doesn’t matter to me what people say. This is just the one life that I am going to have and I want to be happy.”

The cancer, she adds, gave her the strength to move on. “My sickness taught me the value of life and to live it well. You have to enjoy your life for what you have — you are alive, you have a good career, and a beautiful son. This is what I have learned from my experience. Just be happy always.”

It’s a philosophy that guides her professionally as well. Mori may not have any new films, but she’s been happy with the projects she has. Keeping her busy is a film called 1 a Minute, which chronicles the life of a cancer survivor and is interspersed with accounts from celebrities who have successfully battled the disease. Mori was only too ready to take up Namrata Singh Gujral’s offer to be part of the film that also features singer-actress Olivia Newton-John, who suffered from breast cancer, and actress Lisa Ray, who fought blood cancer.

“Namrata invited me to be part of the commentary because I am a cancer survivor. The film will create awareness in every woman to take care and to go to the doctor to get herself checked,” she says.

Meanwhile, Mori is eagerly awaiting the release of Kites in Mexico. These days she is busy with her play and an upcoming Hollywood project. Her next venture — Viento en Contra, which will premiere in March — is her own production. “It’s about a woman, a murder suspect, who has to run from the police. She also has a son who has been kidnapped — and she has to find him. It’s the love story of a mother and her son, with a lot of action,” Mori reveals.

There is time for one last question — and that has to be a personal one. Is Mori single, or is there someone special in her life? The actress sidesteps the issue. “Bárbara Mori is happy with life,” she says.

All the best then — and muchas gracias.