I love my curves…" says Rakshanda Khan

A four month sabbatical and just when you started wondering where she was hiding, Rakshanda is back with a bang, looking drop dead gorgeous, flaunting her sexy figure and screaming from the roof top, "No, I'm not the latest victim of the size zero fad!".

"Thank you, but no thank you. I love my curves. Infact, I think curves are the best thing that can happen to a woman…don't you agree!" she turns around and questions when we bumped into each other in a recent meet at Ekta Kapoor's Kabhi Kabhi Yaar, Kabhi Kabhi Pyaar, wherein, she is hosting the show with her rumored link up, Sachin Tyagi.

"How is it that you know more about my personal life than I do?" she laughs at my question. "The link ups will always be there. But, there's nothing brewing between Sachin and me." Coming back to her sabbatical, she said, "I just wanted a break from the TV industry. The same old roles don't appeal to me. Saas bahu is not my scene, and before you jump the gun and question me about Kyunki… which is a 'saas-bahu' serial, my role as Tanya Malhotra Virani was a powerful character. No simpering, no 'rhona-dhona', no glycerin eyes for me…"

"But, I had reached a point of saturation. It just didn't happen one fine morning. It was a build up and that's when I realized that I had enough and wanted some 'me' time. Just because you take a sabbatical, does not mean that you are a has-been. I'm in this industry to stay. I love the limelight and I love the entire package deal. Why would I want to give it all up? Unlike the newbies, I'm not desperate for work. And, I had also realized that I was neglecting myself. So the sabbatical was more along the lines of pampering myself and focusing on the 'me' quotient."

We couldn't help wonder, if it was the 'I-want-to-go-the-Bebo-way' which is a rage in our industry which prompted the hazel eyed girl to take a break or was it Ekta's diktats on whipping her star cast into shape which prompted the lissome lass into stepping on the treadmill?

She scoffs it all off saying, "No, Ekta didn't have anything to do with my weight loss. Come on, give her some credit. She is responsible for shaping careers, not figures! I'm in an industry, which, unfortunately is based on 'the look good' quotientSo, I stepped on the treadmill, did weight training and decided to munch on carrot sticks instead of reaching out to a bag of potato chips

It's not just working out, but adopting a healthy lifestyle. I didn't realize the power of a nutritionist, till I got myself one. And, the inches that I had gained over a period started melting away.

Kabhi Kabhi Yaar, Kabhi Kabhi Pyaar…why aren't you one of the participants?

"Because, I don't want to get sued", she says, with imp dancing in her eyes. I'm a terrible dancer and I would end up hurting my co-contestants so much so, that they would actually be tempted to sue me for my millions. Ekta did approach me, but I told her about my misgivings of wearing my dancing shoes. So hosting was an option which was offered and I readily took up. Most of the contestants are like family to me. And, the show is more like a 'family get-together'…we have a blast on the sets. And the rumors, well, they are mere rumors. Denying it is only going to spark it further, so for now, I'm going to resort to the famed 'No comments'.

Amba in Kahani Hamari Mahabharat Ki…

I wanted to experiment with mythology. And nothing can get bigger than Mahabharatha. And Ekta Kapoor's 'Kahani Hamari Mahabharat Ki' is the biggest that you can get. I'm not saying that because I'm a part of it and essaying the role of Amba. I've seen the behind-the-scenes work and it's none like we have ever seen before. History says that Mahabharat started because of two women, Draupadi and Amba. Amba wanted to marry Bhishma after King Shalva and King Vichitravirya rejected her proposal, but due to his oath to remain a bachelor throughout his life, he couldn't marry Amba. So she held him responsible for her plight and wished to take vengeance by killing him.

A strong character, which is keeping in line with my kitty of work. As for the homework bit, I've a walking dictionary on Mahabharata on the sets, Ronit Roy. He's read and reread and reread the Mahabharata so many times that he actually coaches all of us on the situations. So, if anybody has a thing or two to ask, then we all turn to Ronit for guidance. He plays the character of Bheesm, the centrifugal force of Mahabharata

And Kyunki…

That's not happening for now. But the creative whizzes have told me that they will bring the track back, but when is a million dollar question