Udita's new mind game

I am used to being a queen," she says. And she looks the part. After Paap and Zeher, Udita Goswami is set for a different kind of role in her next release, Aksar. We caught up with her and asked her all kinds of questions - about the film, her co-stars, working without a godfather, her plans to marry and what she wants to do next. This is what she had to say...

"Aksar is a mind game between three people -- Emraan Hashmi, Dino Morea and myself. I will not get into details, but it is rather difficult to slot the film into one particular genre. It's a mix of everything -- a love story with a murder mystery.

I play a successful model-cum-actress who gets everything she desires when she wants it. She wants the best for herself. She is an unpredictable woman who can speak nicely one minute and throw something at you the next. Emraan plays a fashion photographer -- a guy who loves to be with a lot of women. He is wild. And I am the one model he can never get. Dino plays a calm, suave businessman from London who has lost all his money.

This role is completely different from my earlier ones. In Paap, I played a simple girl. In Zeher, I played a non-glamorous married woman. I have a completely glamorous role here. I didn't have to prepare or do much homework for it. I don't think I have to prepare to look glamorous.

Working with Emraan again was very good. When we worked on Zeher, he was a stranger, but after this movie we have really become good friends. Dino is a very funny guy. Whenever I had an interview with a media person and Dino was around, he would never let me do it. He would stand in front of me and make funny faces. It was impossible for me to do interviews, so I would fix it in such a way that Dino was not around when I did them. In fact, on the first two days, we hardly spoke to each other. Later, I came to understand his true colours.

Emraan is a very quiet person. Dino fools around openly on the sets, but Emraan is very focused on work. When he is on the set, he will never fool around. He does his work and goes back to his van. But when he is in the van, he is as mad as Dino.

I have been lucky enough to work with good directors. Pooja Bhatt was very good. The best thing about her was that she was also an actor. Anant Mahadevan was also an actor. This makes things easier for the actors they work with.

I never had any problems with Pooja. During Zeher, I had problems with the way things were narrated to me, but I have nothing to complain about now because the movie is doing okay. Everything has cooled down so I don't want to talk about it. I don't know if Zeher helped me a lot, but it is true that I have started getting better offers since.

Earlier, I used to think that, if you are talented, you will get work. I have now come to realise that it is not about your talent. You could be an idiot with no idea about acting, but you will do well as long as your movie is a hit. That is how it works here.

When I select my movies, I don't look at just one thing. I have to look at the full package -- from the director and producer to the actors and the money I get.

As for people referring to me as a sex symbol, I would like to differ. It was the poster in Paap that looked bold. It was Pooja Bhatt's next film after Jism. People who didn't want to see bold movies didn't watch the film, and those who wanted to see a bold film went but were disappointed. Paap was definitely not a bold film. But yes, Zeher did have some bold scenes. I have realized that the symbol changes with each movie. I now have two comedies in hand. When they are out, the symbol will change. So, it doesn't make any difference as long as I am doing good work.

I am not comfortable doing intimate scenes.

I also don't think it is tough to be in the industry without a godfather. For someone who is just two movies old, I don't think it's a bad start. I don't know how big a star I am, but it's not at all a bad start.

I would love to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Earlier, I always thought I wanted to do a role like Rekha's in Umrao Jaan, where it was all about expressing yourself with your eyes. But there are two movies being made on Umrao Jaan, so I have stopped saying that.

When I am not shooting, I love staying home or going to the gym.

As for what's next, I have Amar Joshi Shaheed Hogaya with Suniel Shetty and Om Puri and another film called Kisse Pyaar Karoon -- both comedies.

Like any other woman, I will marry, but I don't know when. Initially, I was into modelling and was Number One at it. If I don't achieve something within two years, I will quit because I don't want to be a struggler. I am used to being a queen."