"I'm waiting for rumours to die a natural death." Rani Mukherjee

Rumours insist you're marrying Mr Aditya Chopra.
Rumours can insist what they want. To me they're baseless and stupid rumours. I'm waiting for them to die a natural death. These kinds of speculations come with the territory of my work. They're nothing but efforts to pull me down. And I can see every effort is made to downsize me. But fortunately, I know the difference between constructive and destructive criticism.

Have you become wiser now?
Of course. I joined this industry when I was 17. Naturally, I've grown wiser. I can see through people's motives. I'd rather work quietly and wait for my movies to release. But I can't say such rumours don't harm me. What can I do?

There was a death in your family recently?
Yes, my cousin, Kajol's, father. Shomu Kaka was very close to my family. He was very close to my parents. I was one of his favourite nieces. Both families were very close until my dad stopped making films and I started working. Then a little distance came between the two families because I got busy with my own career. But at a time like this that distance gets dissolved. I kept remembering my childhood days with Shomu Kaka.

You play an angel in only one costume throughout Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic?
Actually, it was several dresses looking identical. I couldn't possibly wear the same dress throughout.

You love working with new directors
Oh yes! Karan Johar, Shaad Ali and Kunal Kohli, they all did their first films with me. Now I'm doing a film with another new director Anurag Singh for Yash Raj Films.

You've become a resident Yash Raj heroine.
I resent that observation. I go only by the script. If Yash Raj is doing so many films that I enjoy, why should I avoid them only because people might put two-and-two together and add up to five? It's wrong to say that I'm doing only Yash Raj films, Lately, I did Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Baabul and Saawariya which are not Yash Raj films. And in fact my latest film Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is entirely a Kunal Kohli Production. They've just given him their banner's name. There was no one from the Yash Raj team involved at all in either Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic or for that matter Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag.

What's your criteria for accepting films?
I've to be excited by what I'm offered. In Kunal's film, I play an angel. I've never seen anyone play an angel before. There has to be something new for me to do.

How was it working with Saif? We may not be close friends. I can't compare my relationship with him to Shahrukh or Aamir. With them I share a deeper bond. Saif and I share a lovely working relationship. Over the three films that we've done, we've both grown as actors. We both inspire one another to give our best.

How is life treating you?
If you mean my career then unfortunately last year Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Saawariya and Tara Rum Pum didn't do as well as expected. I'm very proud of Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic.