IIFA marked your first stage appearance...
For 15 days I had driven everybody nuts and the act changed almost 50 per cent. There was no point in rehearsing the original act. But it has really turned out to be beautiful. All has been done for the betterment of the act. I feel nervous when I’m making any sort of debut. Any new endeavour is exciting.

About your life in Singapore…
When I was studying in Singapore I had a job that could best be called an exalted position of a peon. I liked dressing up, spending time doing my make-up and my hair. But the past three years have been new for me.

Bollywood meets Hollywood…
It’s important not just for me but for any Indian to be featured in a way that provides a global platform, allowing actors here to get introduced to the West. Since Laagan international awareness of our films has been increasing. We are the largest film producer in the world and India has enough talent. It’s important to showcase our talent as a whole, and not as individuals.
Every 10 to 20 years a new cycle begins in the film industry. Every 10 years we make decisions that seem like breakthrough ideas and 10 years hence, it becomes a norm. Every generation makes choices, sets a benchmark and thus begins a new cycle.
I don’t believe in Hollywood, Bollywood, Tollywood or Kollywood. I just believe that cinema is like any art and that’s why at film festivals, like those in Venice or the Cannes, you see films from all over the world. I don’t believe in the coming together of Hollywood and Bollywood. There are certain aspects of film-making that people should be aware of and I guess as the world is becoming smaller ~ thanks to the Internet ~ it’s easier for people to be aware of cinema from around the world. Yes, there’s an amalgamation taking place. Slumdog Millionaire is an example of that. We had Children of Heaven and similar films. Since Slumdog Millionaire is from India, people are more aware of it. I don’t think it’s about English, Chinese, Japanese or Hindi cinema ~ it’s world cinema. You have movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon where actors and technicians are from all over the world. Similarly in Slumdog Millionaire there are Indians, Americans and Brits. It has become multi-cultural.

Family discussion…
On the night of my birthday we were trying to figure out our holiday plans ~ London, Kerala, etc. Honestly speaking, we have very mundane conversations ~ family gossip and what’s happening. We have a large extended family. We try to leave work behind.

Being Anil Kapoor’s daughter…
Everybody asks me what it’s to be Anil Kapoor’s daughter. I don’t know the difference. I was born Anil Kapoor’s daughter. I don’t know what it’s to be a banker’s or a policeman’s daughter. It’s a novelty for me to come across people who are somebody else’s daughter or son! This is normal for me. Yes, my mom has kept me away from the film industry because she wanted us to concentrate on our studies and she’s a banker’s daughter. On my mom’s side of the family everyone’s a banker, lawyer or doctor. It’s normal for me.

Favourite films…
I would like to watch any film ~ art or commercial. I just believe there is good and bad cinema. As long as it’s a good script and my role has meat in it, I would take it up ~ whether it’s for 10 minutes or the entire length.

Your next film, Ayesha…
It’s based on Jane Austen’s Emma and is directed by Rajshree Ojha. My sister is the creative producer. This is a film close to me as I love Jane Austen. I like the fact she believes in love ever after, that there’s a Knightley or Darcy somewhere out there. I also like literature. In India and abroad ~ at least in upper society ~ there’s arranged marriage and marriage that looks good on paper. It’s prevalent across India. I was 13-14 years old when I first read the book and then straight after, Pride and Prejudice. I like Emma and Sense & Sensibility, but for some reason I go back to reading Emma. It’s my favourite because I like what even Austen had to say about the book. Emma’s the most humane of her characters. I like the fact that she’s so confused about her own life that she tries to fix everybody else’s life. That’s what every normal girl is like. She’s always trying to find control over her life. Lot of Indian women are like that, especially those at home and discussing other people’s life.

The pigeon in Delhi-6…
The pigeon was supposed to sit on my shoulder but the pigeon liked me and I liked the pigeon. We became friends. There were two pigeons and one decided to sit on my head and refused to leave!