I never played the right roles, or very rarely got the right roles offered, except on stage.
When I was younger in the theater, I didn't really feel like I got much recognition from the powers that be. I got a lot of small roles - I never got the standout roles.
I think I found roles which weren't the roles I thought I'd be doing but they were the kind that brought me where I never imagined myself to be.
I agree I'd like to do more work. But the right kind of roles has to be offered to me. I'm not saying the roles need to be realistic all the time, though that's what I like connecting with on screen.
The kind of roles that I'm right for on stage tend to be quite young, and ingénue roles can be a little unfulfilling. They tend to fall into one slot: play the innocent young girl who comes on and does a lot of crying.
Usually being a young actor, you've got to go through certain levels of hierarchy, going through bit parts and extra roles and then kind of progressing up the food chain and having the size of your roles grow in that sense.
Once I wanted to get into films, I took my time about it because when I first got to Bombay, I gave my photos and CDs to all the production houses. But the roles that came my way were the 'typical white girl dancing in the background' kind of roles, which I was not too interested in, or it was advertisements.
I have played lead roles, supporting roles and also miniscule roles in my career so far, and have never been image conscious.
I know I'm responsible for not having got the kind of roles that I'd have liked to.
I know I'm responsible for not having got the kind of roles that I'd have liked to. '
The kind of roles which you get, people identify with your roles, and it then leads to the kind of brands you get.
If there aren't roles you want to play, then you've kind of got to create them.
It's true in the beginning I started playing villains, and I think that's pretty clear, because if you don't conventionally look a certain way and you've got a certain kind of presence when you're young, then what's available to you is character roles, and the best character roles when you're young tend to be villains.
At one time, smaller, and story-heavy films were not appreciated much but exposure has made the audience aware of what great story-telling is. This has also ensured that the right actors are cast for the right kind of roles.
I don't think that I'll always necessarily be, I guess, famous. I think, hopefully I'll just have longevity at what I love. So, I kind of think it's about taking the right steps and the right roles, and doing the best you can... and praying.
What's important is that, come the general election, people think the right things of you. They think that you've got the right values and the right policies. And that you're the right kind of person to lead the country.