The varied roles are a blessing, says actress Aishwarya Rai, who has gone from the elaborate, bejewelled look in Umrao Jaan to the hip and sassy in Dhoom 2 in a matter of weeks - and with great success.

"I've tried to keep it versatile from the start of my career. But wanting something isn't the same as getting it. Opportunities like Umrao Jaan, Dhoom 2, Guru and now Jodha-Akbar have come to me," says Aishwarya, who says the hugely challenging parts are very flattering.

The actress recalls how there was hesitation to cast Hrithik and her together because of their similar skin tone and eyes.

"But when we finally shot together, everything fell into place. Actually on the first day of Dhoom there was a silence after we shot. And we were like, 'Okaaayyyyy'. Then director Sanjay Gadhvi came up to us and said, 'Everybody is stunned. You guys are looking awesome together'."

Comparing Hrithik and Abhishek, she says she has known the latter much longer. " I had worked with Hrithik earlier during a world tour. Hrithik himself says he has loosened up a lot since then. He had lots of fun in Dhoom. As for Abhishek, I've known him much, much longer. He's always having fun on the sets. It relaxes him and makes the atmosphere on the sets far more convivial."

"I don't play the typical 'Mona Darling' in Dhoom 2. I play this petty thief who thinks she's pretty cool. My character thinks she's smarter than the smartest. She's a sassy girl and at the same time she's a cool dude. I'm a girl who wants to be one of the action guys," she says.

She says the Dhoom look was decided when Aditya Chopra went to offer her Kajra re in Bunty aur Bubbly and was subsequently impressed by her performance.

But a change was tempting. "Dhoom is high on the hot and sexy elements. It's high on style and fashion. My look was determined by the film's mood. Of course I'm not a stranger to western clothes. But yes, the look in Dhoom was a new experience," she says.