"My career is top priority, I won't give it up" - Kareena

Kareena Kapoor opens her heart out to Subhash K Jha on Saif&career plans...

What is this about you being the highest paid actor in India?
I don't know what other actors get paid. And I don't care. I get what I deserve. I've slogged right from Refugee to Jab We Met and Tashan. An actor is signed for what he/she can deliver.

Is your price flexible?
I've always been flexible with my fee. The hunger is for the right roles.

There were many heightened expectations from your last release Tashan because of Saif and you?
We just did what the script required us to. I don't think people should've gone to see Tashan as Saif and my love story. What does that mean, yaar? We're playing characters. That's why Jab We Met worked. The characters worked. I had earlier done so many films with Shahid while we were seeing each other. They didn't work. Why?

You tell me
Today it's the script that works. All actors are hungry for the right scripts and characters.

All the attention given to your relationship with Saif does that scare you?
I can't stop living my life the way I want to just because of the attention. As long as I don't let my family down, I'm not scared. I'll always retain my values. But yes, at times this endless attention does get scary. There're so many false stories about Saif and me. But it's ok. I understand the need to know what's going in our lives. Are we married...are we not married? Please! Fortunately, I've learnt to take all this unwanted speculation in my stride. The best thing is to keep doing my work and not get affected by the loose talk.

Are you fully comfortable in your relationship with Saif?
Yes. But only the two people in a relationship know what is going on. I don't think people have the right to know what's going on in my private life. They've my films to judge me with. I don't need to give explanations about what happens behind my closed doors. Right now I'm loving it (laughs). The paparazzi are doing their job. We're doing ours. Both Saif and I understand that.

The two of you don't have that much work together.
No after Tashan we only have Rensil D'Silva's film together. Both of us are too sensible to sign films just to spend time together. Saif is way too mature and extremely understanding. He respects the kind of work I like to do as I respect his work. And we keep our careers apart. Saif knows that right now my career is the most important thing to me. And that I need the space to work. To my family and me, my career is top priority. Because I've worked really hard to get where I am. You as a friend have watched my struggle. My family and friends know how much I've slogged. I won't give it up for anything.

So career wins over love.
There's no comparison between the two. When I'm working I'm working. And when I'm with him I'm all there. Besides, Saif is a superstar himself. He's so busy.

How do you rate him as an actor?
I think he is a 10 on 10. The way he can make audiences laugh and cry is amazing. And his one-liners are extremely entertaining. And we're both moody. So that's fine.

After Jab We Met, do you think you've moved into a different league?
My new journey began earlier with Omkara. I began to learn a lot about myself through Vishal Bhardwaj. Don't know about a different league. But I do feel more responsible towards my career. Some people expect the roles that come to me after Jab We Met have to be like 'Geet'. That's not possible. In Tashan too, I've had a fantastic role. But it isn't 'Geet'. In fact, I wanted my look and role in Tashan to be totally different from what I did in Jab We Met. And I think I've succeeded. The two characters and films are totally apart.

Have you turned anorexic?
No, I haven't. I think I had a good physique even before I re-sculpted myself for Tashan. In fact, a lot people preferred me when I was a little weightier. They think I was more charming earlier. So I repeat, this look is just for Tashan. People say I've been on an orange juice diet. I hate it. The only juice I take is cranberry. And I eat healthily, though I'm a pure vegetarian. Being a vegetarian diet helps me to stay light and healthy. I also do yoga or some form of exercise 4-5 times a week. I do not go to the gym. I go for walks regularly. I believe in healthy slimming. Eat well and stay fit. You can't be binging on chocolates all the time. But it's okay to indulge yourself. I do so once or twice a week. Like all Kapoors, I can't stay away from good food.

You seem to have it all. 'Kisi ki nazar na lag jaye'?
I am bogged down by all the attention. I'm human after all. But being a star isn't easy. Of course, I'm a little sacred. I'm treading cautiously personally and professionally.

How excited are you about your current assignments?
All my current assignments are completely different from one another. I'm so excited about working with Aamir Khan in Raj Kumar Hirani's film. 3 Idiots is a comedy with a social message.