A flurry of newbies are launched in Bollywood every single Friday, but only a few manage to make a mark. However, for Ridhima Sud, the story was different. With her debut in Zoya Akhtar's Dil Dhadakne Do, the actress not only charmed the movie maniacs but also compelled the critics and the industry insiders to take notice of her. But DDD was not really her first film. She had shot for Madhureeta Anand'sKajarya, a film revolving around various women issues,much before DDD happened. Over a mail interview, Ridhima talks about her film, her take on Aamir Khan's 'intolerance' remark and her upcoming projects. Excerpts:

For the last few months, much is being talked and discussed about women empowerment but amidst all this, in the name of feminism, don't you think the society has become male bashing?
Yes, a little. But it is important to realise that feminism isn't meant to be synonymous with male bashing. It is possible to empower women without disregarding men. You cannot marginalise one section of society to empower another. We need to learn to work together and appreciate that we are all different. Even within a group of women, no two are alike and everyone has individualism to offer to the world.

You have mentioned that your parents weren't happy with your career choice. Explain how difficult was the journey to the filmdom.
My parents weren't too excited about the career choice. My great grandmother was a musician but other than that, no one in my family is in arts. They were just caught off guard. My granddad still isn't keen. I visited him last week and he was trying to convince me to become a lawyer, saying that it is still not too late. The funniest part is that my grandmother was not even excited about that. She said that no one wants an argumentative (lawyer) daughter-in-law. They sneakily enjoyed that I got love and appreciation for my work though. I wanted to pursue this because I am passionate about it. The arts is where I really come alive. It took a fair amount of convincing to make them comfortable with this.

Who do you want to work with in Bollywood?
Everyone. They are all unique and have something interesting to offer. Irrfan Khan and Varun Dhawan are on the top of the list. I would also like to work with Ranbir Kapoor. I find him very talented.

What do you think about Aamir Khan's statement on 'intolerance'?
Aamir is an intelligent man. No one gets to where he is by being irrationally opinionated. I am pro-democracy.

Have you made any friends in Bollywood?
Yes. Everyone from Dil Dhadakne Do. They are incredible human beings. Whether it is Priyanka Chopra praising my performance or Farhan saying "well done," or Anil Kapoor saying that the audiences are loving me, They have all shown so much love and support.

How did you prepare for the role of a journalist in Kajarya?
With a lot of help from my director, Madhureeta Anand. The film is a director's medium and since this was my first feature film ever as lead, her love and guidance really helped. When you are working with powerhouse performers like Meenu Hooda and Kuldeep Ruhil, it makes things easier.

Tell us about your forthcoming films.
17 Ko Shaadi Hai is my next film. It is an ensemble wedding film which is co-produced by John Abraham and Shoojit Sircar. I am really excited about it because the script is fantastic. And if it translates well in a film, which I am sure it has with debutant director Arshad Sayyed, it should make for a super fun watch. We are a nation in love with weddings. We even have a wedding season. Weddings are the ultimate form of celebration in our culture but for some reason there are not enough really fun wedding films. A good wedding film should resonate well.