/> Spunky spirited and the never-say-'dye' mother-of-two Amrita Singh has yet again done the unexpected.

She agreed to play Viveik Oberoi's mother role in Apoorva Lakhia's Shoot-out At Lokhandwala. "It sounds strange, I know. I wouldn't do anything that's silly. It was a great character. Shoot-out was completely a man's film. And I played a pretty gritty and gutsy woman myself.

My role wasn't important for its connection with any other character. It was an interesting part and I took it on because that's the kind of short and strong stint I'm looking for at the moment.

It required only six days of my time. And they paid me well. At the moment I need all the time I have to look after my children, specially my son Ebrahim who needs me."

Amrita has decided to take a break from television. " Kavyanjali was great for me. I enjoyed working with Ekta Kapoor. And she did tell me she'd like to work with me again. But really, not now for a long time.

Kavyanjali was a great experience for me. But now for my kids. I was working round-the-clock. I had no time for my kids to take them on a holiday.

Balancing home, kids and work became too much. While I was working round the clock I really missed out on a lot specially with my son. My children are my responsibility. I'm solely responsible for their future."

Television takes up too many hours. "There came a time when Ebrahim's teachers and others who were concerned about him, told me I needed to be with him. My kids are my top priority. Cinema is less demanding.

The kind of roles I'd get to do won't require more than twenty days for me....Even the film Kalyug where I had an ample role, I shot for only six days! I tortured the unit into shooting day and night with me."

Brutally frank, Amrita admits Kalyug didn't re-start her film career in the way she had hoped. "Not that there was a dearth of offers. But I want the best. I'm a selfish person. I want to have my cake and eat it too.

So far I've done exactly what I wanted to do. Finally I'm doing Apoorva Lakhia's film and Sanjay Gupta's Dus Kahaniyan.

" Incidentally Amrita's elder Sarah already has aspirations to be an actress. "She's really well brought up. I gave ample time to her when she was a child. But my son hasn't had enough of me. Sarah is a complete lady."

Amrita feels good about life. "In a way I miss doing Kavyanjali every day. And I do feel I'm wasting my time at home when my kids are out doing their own things. They do have a life of their own. But the kids feel nice to see me at home when they return. They're enjoying having me at home."

Something that happened one day while shooting for Shoot-out At Lokhandwala really moved Amrita back into the domestic mode. "I had all this fake blood all over me. Of course my son wasn't scared. He's a major horror buff.

But he was concerned. He kept knocking on the bathroom door as I showered. When I opened the door I saw him standing there with my nightie. He wanted me to just change and get into bed. But I had to go back for the night-shoot. It was heartbreaking. That moment killed me.

I won't work at my children'x expense. Look at what I missed out on. When Ebrahim's teachers tell me he's bright, brave and intelligent, I feel I've my life's finest achievement."

The mother in Amrita is at the forefront. "What the f...k you only live once. And you better do what makes you happy.

I've a friend who's battling cancer and another friend who suddenly had a stroke. You never know about tomorrow.You only live once.

All my life I've done exactly what I wanted to do regardless of the consequences. Why should I change now? I'd rather live by my choices. And if I f...k up it's my f..k up. "