After your hot new look and makeover, has the way men look at you changed?

I only hope so (laughs). I have always had guys complimenting me. But this time, I am getting extra compliments from my male friends.

When did you first become aware of the male gaze?

When I was in my teens. I guess when I was 15 or 16, I realised how men observe women (laughs).

Do you ever feel uncomfortable with the male gaze?

It certainly makes anybody a little uncomfortable. Actually, it doesn’t make you uncomfortable but it makes you a little conscious. It all depends upon how each person looks at you. Some people look at you with an ugly gaze. You can feel lust in their eyes, which is a put-off.

How do men want their women to be?

They like their women to be very hot and at the same time very innocent (laughs).

Do you feel men always want a hot girlfriend but a simple and homely wife?

I think so. That’s very typical of a man. They want a hot girlfriend but when it comes to marrying, they want a homely and innocent wife.

Would you like to be labelled a sex symbol?

I would like to be a girl who a guy finds very hot, but at the same time he wants to take her home to his mother.

Are guys and girls treated differently in your family?

Not at all!

What kind of relationship do you share with your father?

My dad has been very broad-minded but I have been so shy that I could never discuss a guy in front of him. The day I have a boyfriend, I think I will ask my aunts and one of my best friends to convey it to my parents. I will be too shy to talk about it.

Do you have a brother?

I don’t. My dad says I don’t need a ‘sun’ because I have a ‘star’ (laughs).

If a girl is not good-looking, do men tend to be less interested in her?

We can’t make a generalisation about all men because I have seen some very good-looking men marrying not-so-good-looking girls. Maybe they have got attracted to them because of other reasons like their personality, their qualifications and so on.

In Vivah, your character Poonam gets burnt but finds acceptance from her fiancé Prem. God forbid, if such a thing had happened in real life what would you expect from your fiancé?

It is a very profound question. Well, I would want him to treat me normally as if nothing had happened. There is a very profound dialogue by the doctor in the film — he tells Prem (Shahid Kapoor) that Poonam is now going to look at herself through his eyes. That was a very-well-thought-out statement which was absolutely true. I would just want my life partner to treat me normally and not treat me with pity or make me feel any different.

And what if it were to happen the other way round?

I would definitely stand by him because when you decide to be a part of a person’s life, it’s the most important decision of your life; you have to stand by that.

What if your man disapproves of a revealing outfit that you have worn?

I will certainly not wear it. If he prefers me in certain kinds of clothes I will make sure I wear those; but not at the cost of being uncomfortable.

Do men like women dressed in revealing clothes?

I know a lot of guys who don’t like it. The kind of guys who like women dressed provocatively are the ones who only want to have fun. If a guy is serious about a girl, he will not want her to be dressed in a revealing manner.

What if your man makes a pass at another woman at a party?

I will feel very disappointed and will ask for an explanation. If such a situation arises, it’s certain that the guy is not interested in the girl anymore.

Will you be able to forgive him?

Unless you actually go through this, you never know how you will react and how profoundly it would affect you at that particular time.

If a man raises his hand on you and attributes it to his loss of temper, would you forgive him?

Umm … it depends on the relation I share with the guy. If it’s my husband, I would ensure that such an action is never repeated again. I don’t think that there is any justification for such a thing.

Are men commitment phobic?

I think women are equally commitment phobic, probably even more.

What do you think of live-in relationships?

If the guy and the girl are okay with it and both of them have no objection from their families, it’s the best way of knowing each other.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

No, love is a very deep emotion; you cannot fall in love at first sight. What can happen at first sight is attraction.