There weren’t many retakes- Diya

Those on the sets of Dus Kahaniyaan say that you slapped your co-star Manoj Bajpai so hard that he was reeling...

(Laughs) Well, the scene demanded it and so I did! I slapped him so hard he turned red! Thankfully there were not too many retakes or else he would have killed me after the shoot; so much for comfort level!

So, was Bhiku Mhatre good to you?

We actually got along really well. The timing in every scene felt perfect and things just flowed. And what more could I ask for. I think that could only be possible because Manoj gave me the respect as an actor. He treated me with utmost regard. That's the key for any kind of synergy to take place. We'd discuss every scene at length, rehearse the scenes. If I had any fears, I'd voice them. And he would respond with patience and help me. There were even times when he'd scold me and say things are going right and that I'm being unnecessarily fearful! Both of us were so clear about everything that making the story possible became an absolutely enjoyable experience.

The buzz is that Sanjay Gupta used incidents from his relationship with you for your short story with Manoj Bajpai in Dus Kahaniyaan...

Nothing like that. He did actually pick up bits of my conversations with him and put them in as dialogues. That's it. And that, I think, was really interesting. Because it made me feel so much like my character.

He even calls your character Sia, which sounds so much like Dia...

To be honest, Sia in many ways is like me! But she's also very unlike me. Sia's love for poetry, her faith, her strength, determination and ability to smile and be happy even when her life is falling apart.... In these aspects there's a strong similarity. The dissimilarity is perhaps in her choices. The professional choices Sia makes are not the ones I would make.

What is your particular kahaani, Zahir, all about?

My kahaani is about two people who make a connection and how things go terribly wrong. One wrong move could change one's life completely.

Moving away from Zahir, how was it being Shah Rukh Khan's heroine in chiffon for the Om Shanti Om guest appearance?

Oh, it was very funny, given the situation! Shah Rukh is fantastic. He is a charmer. He makes you feel special and appreciated. See what I mean? Shah Rukh managed to do all that in such a short span of time! But that's him. He does that with everyone he meets. I shot a commercial with him earlier this year and he left me mesmerised.

Finally, will we see a new Dia in Manmohan Mahapatra's Bits and Pieces?

Oh absolutely! With every new film I work towards people getting to see a new me. It's one of the joys of being an actor.