I think the saying that diamonds are a girl's best friend can't be truer. Which girl doesn't love diamonds?
I want to do different things. I don't want to be stuck in the 'sweet girl' box. I don't want to be stuck in the 'Oh, she is so glamorous' box.
'Happy girls are the prettiest,' and to be in the camera frame makes me happy. I just want myself to keep working. I can be in front of the camera for 48 hours continuously without any breaks.
I feel that I don't know anything, I don't know how to act, but I can surrender myself to a director I respect and love. I feel very lucky to be a part of their visions.
I am very petite and feel that structured clothes look very flattering on me. That's why I always pick up clothes which are neat, pretty, have lace or made of soft fabrics.
I think boldness is not the only thing in my personality, but there is lot more.
My mother is a Chitrapur Saraswat from Mangalore and half-Telugu, and my father is a Bohri Muslim. My mother's father, J Rameshwar Rao, was the Raja of Wanaparthy, a principality of Hyderabad. He was influenced by the socialist movement and became the first Raja to give up his title.
I don't really understand why we are paid less than the male actors, because we put equal efforts, and recent past has shown that actresses can deliver a hit film. We deserve better pay, equal to what actors get.
Though all actors do not make good directors, Dhanush is really one of the finest. He knows exactly how to direct an actor to extract the performance the way he wants it. Perhaps that is happening because he is a performer himself.
My great grandfather from my father's side, Sir Akbar Hydari, was the prime minister of the Nizam of Hyderabad. He was instrumental in setting up the Osmania university. His wife set up the Hydari club for women so that they could play tennis, and she also set up the first girls' school in Hyderabad.
My family was extremely progressive. My parents had a love marriage, but they separated when I was two years old. I moved to Delhi with my mom, who got involved with the family business.
Good cinema has no regional or linguistic boundaries.
No artiste wants to be boxed. We thrive on challenging roles, and they can come from anywhere. I consider myself blessed to be recognised as a pan-Indian actor. Yes, it means more hard work, prepping more for the roles, but I'm all for it.