You've had a good run with Raaz 3. Now, you have Aatma. There's a joke doing the rounds that you are the 'scary movie specialist'...yes, I've heard that joke too. In fact, I'm thinking of starting a production company that makes only horror films. Then I'll be a horror film specialist in the true sense! The reason I'm doing Aatma immediately after Raaz is because fear is an untapped genre in Hindi cinema. We make drama, romance, action and 80s action. we are going back in time. But we haven't tapped the supernatural genre. Earlier it was done in a B or C grade manner, but now when you have interesting stories, why not? And at this point I don't want to be an accessory in films, I want to act.
By 'accessory', you mean glam roles and item numbers?
There is nothing wrong with item numbers. At every wedding or birthday party, the uncles, aunties and kids dance to the item numbers. So why be such prudes? We are not Hollywood. Our movies run on a staple of song and dance, so why pretend? I have been part of all kinds of films — some great, some bad. As women, we tend to take the easy way out in showbiz. I have done movies where all I did was look pretty in every frame. But now, I want more. I want to be an actor. I want to be part of a film right from the day the idea was conceived, till the time I promote it. In all my recent projects I have been part of the film even before the script was written. So I want that kind of freedom as an actor. And, I'm enjoying this phase. As an actor, I'm greedy. At this point of time, I want to do films that excite me, that make me want to go on the sets. If I want to be the sexy Bipasha Basu, then I'll do a song here or a glam role there. But I want to be part of films that are watched, films that earn money and are new age, with author-backed roles.
As an actor, is it important to do movies that are now classified as "the 100 crore club movies"?
This whole "100 crore club" is becoming a norm in the industry now. One has to see the ratio of profit earned. When you talk of a 70 crore film earning 100 crores, you are taking into account a 30 crore profit margin. But when a 12 crore film does 90 crore business, no one talks about how successful it is. Look at the revenue it generated! But no one talks about it. Just because it didn't make money like any of the remakes, doesn't make it less successful!
Are you happy with your roles?
I agree that there are no fantastic roles for women. Just a handful. You have to be lucky to get good roles and not every actor is blessed to have a run like Vidya Balan. And not many roles are written for beautiful women. I'm one of the few actors today, who still hasn't worked with any of the Khans, but I'm doing fine. That said, I would love to work with Salman or Shah Rukh. Who wouldn't want to? It does make your life a lot easier. But I realised that things work for me only when I shouldered responsibility and not let the hero do all the work on screen. I have done some tacky films, but then they were all my decisions and I'm happy to have made those because they have made me who I am. The first three years of my life, I grabbed everything that came my way, because I had no guidance. I lost my health and life. But I don't do that anymore. I'm more selective. And like I said, there isn't much for beautiful women...
Is it tough being single, beautiful and successful?
It's tough. Life is easier if you are a hero. You know, I have been called 'Bongshell' the day I stepped into showbiz. So, any adjective coming my way, I take it positively. Sometimes it's also entertaining, but I don't feel bad about it. I'm a proud woman. Yes, I am single and I don't have a man to piggyback on for anything. I've been here for 12 years and I'm not going anywhere. I want to be known as the sexy Bongshell Grandmom!
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