Zareen Khan, 28, is not related to Katrina Kaif, is an Indian who speaks English, Hindi and Marathi equally fluently.

She is an open book, impulsive, smooth phat with high quotient of self respect. While she is emotional, she chooses to show her emotions to only people she cares about. Ahead of her upcoming erotic film Hate Story 3, she opens up to Bombay Times about her father who does not exist for her, her intimidating mentor Salman Khan and how she is enjoying her transformation from being fat to sexy.

Excerpts:
How did you become an actress?
Even though there are a lot of misconceptions about me not being an Indian, I am born and brought up in Bandra.My mom is a housewife and my parents are separated and I live with my younger sister, mother and nana. I never ever had any plans of coming into films and never wanted to become an actress. I was a good student and dreamt of becoming a doctor. But post my completing Class XII from Rizvi College, my parents separated so I had to discontinue my education as I had to financially support my mother and sister. I was obese and was over 100 kilos. I took my first job at a call centre and simultaneously started the procedure for losing weight. I then worked at various exhibitions as a promoter, post which I decided to become an air hostess. I cleared all the rounds for becoming an air hostess and only the final round was left just when I met Salman Khan on set ofYuvvraaj. I was a big fan of his. I came to know that he was shooting and that one of my friends was a junior artiste shooting with him.

I must have been 21 at that time and I went to his set. I remember he had just finished his workout and was sitting on the stairs. His man Friday Nadeem bhai was around him and I told him I wanted to meet him. He said he was busy. If somebody says a no to me, I will do it all the more, so I went there and I said,'Assalam walaikum',turned and just ran away. In return I heard Salman say, 'Walaikumassalam'. My day was more than made and I didn't want anything else. I was chilling and moving around everywhere on set till Nadeem bhai came to me and said, 'You wanted to meet bhai na? He is sitting there, go meet him.' I was so excited and went to meet him. Salman asked me my name and what I do. He said, 'Do you have your pictures?' I showed him the normal ones I had taken on my phone and he said, 'No no, not these. Do you have portfolio ones?' I said, 'No'. He immediately called for his photographer Munna and designer, and the same night, I was told that I had been chosen opposite Salman for his next film Veer. And that was my debut film. I couldn't believe it. In my head, I could never imagine that I could be an actress. I always thought actresses were meant to be perfect and that they would have perfect bodies with all thenakhras. And here was I, who in my head was a tomboy. I had never had a plan, never wanted to become an actress, so getting a debut opposite Salman Khan was unreal. There were times when I would shoot with him and just stare at him as I could not believe that this was my reality. Post Veer, I did a cameo in Ready (song'Character dheela'that actually got me more recognition thanVeer) and then didHousefull 2(opposite Riteish Deshmukh) and nowHate Story 3.