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'This is the person I want to spend rest of my life with'

Is this a slap on the faces of all those who say married actresses cannot succeed?

I wouldn’t say it’s a slap, I mean, we are not at war. I would just say that times have changed and people should realise that. We have married women working everywhere, so why not in films?

What kind of roles would you like to do now? Do you plan to get into production/direction?

I haven’t thought about that. Right now, I am quite happy doing what I am doing. I have to still learn a lot more before I can even think of directing a film. I am not being modest about this; I have to learn more about the work that goes on behind the scenes.

I don't think I'll ever be able to produce a film. I don’t have the aptitude to deal with the kind of people I will have to regularly be in contact with. I think I might turn to direction at some point, but there is still time for that.

You have worked with all the four Khans. How different did you find them?

Each one has his own strong individuality. I don’t think Shah Rukh is like Aamir, or Aamir is like Saif, or Saif like Salman. They all have their own qualities... like Salman is more mischievous than even Saif. Shah Rukh is more street smart, he is a multi-faceted person. Aamir is more of an introvert who keeps to himself. But he too can play pranks (smiles). All of them are distinctly different from each other.

Who are you closest to?

I don’t know. I haven’t worked with Aamir for a long time, but we had a blast when we did Dil. We got along very well. I get along well with Shah Rukh and Salman too. It has also got something to do with the kind of person I am. I am not uptight or fussy. I get along with anyone who works well, who is interested in what he or she is doing.

Shah Rukh Khan recently said he would like you to have a daughter who is as beautiful as you are, so that his son Aryaan could marry her.

Shah Rukh will have to wait for a few more years (laughs). It is healthy to have a good age gap between the husband and the wife. I will wait before I produce one (laughs).

You have been known to guard your privacy jealously. How have you managed that?

I cannot say how, I guess it is just the way I am. It’s not a like a planned move or anything like that.

You surprised everyone with your sudden marriage.

I will just say I have a little bit of Anjali in me. I can take a quick decision, not impulsive but because I met the right person and that is most important. There was never any hesitation in me about my marriage because I believed I met the right person and this is the person I want to spend rest of my life with and that’s it.

A lot of people thought I wasn’t getting married because of my career and blah blah. That is not true, it’s just that you have to meet the right person. And you cannot say, “Aisa hua to aisa hua.” Your heart just knows it and that’s what happened with me (laughs). Dil to pagal hai (laughs). Yes, definitely.

How does it feel to be married to someone who isn’t aware of your celebrity status? Did something like Notting Hill happen in your life?

In Notting Hill, he is a big fan of hers. What happened in our case is that I cannot vibe with a person who I feel is in awe of me and who has some pre-conceived notion about me because they have seen me on screen and never seen me personally.

As a person, I am very different. I am very simple and down-to-earth. I am just like anybody else. When I met Ram, we vibed instantly because he had no such thing like, “Oh, I am going to meet an actress who is so big.” For him, it was just like meeting any other person. For me, it was a change because I could be myself and I could just vibe with a person on that level. That is actually what worked for us.

We know each other as persons first and, no, he hasn’t seen my films as yet (laughs).

Not a single film?

No he hasn’t, and people find that hard to believe. It’s not so hard to believe if you know of kids who grow up in America, because they have their own world. He doesn’t understand Hindi, that’s what he says. He says that even if I watch a film I get so bored because I don’t understand Hindi. I said, don’t worry, I’ll teach you Hindi. Probably he will start watching Hindi films (laughs).

Of all the films you have done, which one would you like him to see first?

Ummm, I think I will probably show him Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (laughs).

Now that he is back in the US and you are here in India, how do you two co-ordinate?

What is this? It is getting too personal now (laughs).

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Wow (laughs)! We have just stepped into this millennium. I haven’t seen myself that far as yet. Five years down the road, who knows what I’ll be doing? Probably having a kid or planning one.

Shah Rukh Khan will be very happy.

Yeah! Probably Shah Rukh’s dream will come true (laughs).

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