/>"I feel I'm in seventh heaven. First the amazing response to Omkara, now I've signed the formal contract for Mani Rathnam's new film Lajjo. Mani wants me to prepare for the role until next winter."

Kareena sounds as excited as she did when she started work on Omkara, "I'm waiting for Vishal Bhardwaj to sign me again. I'm hugely satisfied with Omkara. I had hoped it would be a new beginning for me. And that's exactly how it turned out."

She sighs and ponders on the new mellow and contemplative phase in her career. "You know, it can't be a coincidence that I'm doing two literary adaptations back to back, first Shakespeare in Omkara and now Ishmat Chugtai story Lajjo. I know Urdu is a long way off from Shakespeare. But literature is literature, and I'm glad I've arrived at this new juncture in my career so effortlessly."

Kareena has already started reading Chugtai's period love story, hence Kareena's second period film after Ashoka.

She chuckles, "I remember how excited I was when I had signed Ashoka with Shah rukh. Now it's Aamir in Lajjo. It's every actress' dream to work with Aamir. I'm a huge fan. When I saw Rang De Basanti I was jealous. I wanted to be part of it."

Kareena shares a very special bond with Mani Rathnam. In fact Mani has gone on-record to talk about what a special performance she gave in Yuva.

"Is it?" Kareena is delighted. "Mani is definitely one of the most special directors I've worked out. When he contacted me to do Lajjo I couldn't believe my luck. This was just what I wanted to do after Omkara. I can't forget what fun I had shooting for Yuva in Kolkata and Chennai. Now I can't wait to start work on Lajjo with Mani and Aamir."

Kareena recently did a small cameo appearance in Farhan Akhtar's Don. "People are going to be shocked when they see me in my glamorous role in Don. Here I'm dancing to Yeh mera dil. I was such a simple quiet timid soul in Omkara. Hats off to Vishal for making me perform in character. I wouldn't have liked to go even a inch out of place. Vishal made sure of that. I'm very proud of Omkara."

She sighs, "To work with Mani again and Aamir for the first time ....It's like a double bonanza for me. You know, I came close to working with Aamir in Vishal Bhardwaj's Mr Singh & Mrs Mehta. That was a love story about two married people who aren't married to each other. Now I'm doing another intense love story with Aamir and I can't wait to start."