The effervescent actor seems pretty much surprised and delighted herself. "I never expected this kind of praise. It's of course delightful. But let me also tell you, I feel Dor just taps five percent of my abilities.
There's so much more to my abilities. But how would people know about it unless they see what I can do. I must thank Nagesh for helping me connect with my character of Meera. At first I didn't quite understand her world her joy and pain...she's such a simple person. A
nd we live in such a complicated world. But Nagesh Kukunoor explained Meera's world to me. At first it felt odd to get into her clothes and her world. But soon I got used to it. Today I definitely feel I've grown as an actress. But like I said, there's a lot more to me than Dor."
She wonders at how Nagesh signed her. "He saw me in my first film Socha Na Tha and also in Yun Hota To KyaHota. That's all it took. I guess I need more directors with vision in my career."
While her forthcoming films like Fool & Final and Kya Love Story Hai are hardly expected to build on the Dor advantage Ayesha does have Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq where she has an interesting part in a an ensemble cast.
But the one that Ayesha must grab with both hands is Nagesh Kukunoor's next which he wants to start immediately and complete before his assignment with John Abraham in 2007.
Ayesha sighs, "I've to do what's offered to me. A film like Dor doesn't happen everyday. Yes, Nagesh has offered me his next. And I'd be a fool to let it go. There's only one problem, and a very major one. The role in Nagesh's next requires me to do a kissing scene. And under no circumstance will I kiss in a film, no matter how tempting the role."
A kiss seems an unreasonable and unlikely reason to turn down a role with a director who has virtually changed Ayesha's career and has also adopted her as his raakhi-sister. But she's adamant. "I'm sorry. But a kiss is out of the question. When I came into this industry I set down some dos and don'ts for myself. And I plan to stick by them."
Isn't there any way the director and the actress can work this out? "It is a problem," Ayesha concedes. "For the girl in Nagesh's next film her sexuality is a very important part of her character. Nagesh feels it won't work without the kiss. I respect that. For now I'm happy being surrounded by all these good vibes for Dor."
Whether Nagesh Kukunoor will make the required change to accommodate Ayesha into the project remains to be seen. But Ayesha is sure of one thing.
No kissing. Even for Nagesh Kukunoor.
