/> The petite pretty and talcum-fresh Neha who was introduced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra in Kareeb is back.

Neha figures in Sanjay Gupta's Alibaug as a prominent part of the vast cast.

And she had herself a blast shooting. "I've always been passionate about acting. But I couldn't go role-hunting from door to door of producers' homes.

Maybe that was a drawback in me. After a while when the right roles stopped coming I withdrew from acting and was just happy being Mrs Manoj Bajpai."

The couple made it legal in April 2006. "But it didn't really matter. Manoj and I have known one another for ten years. I met him right after Kareeb was released.

And since then we've been together. We're individuals and yet a compatible couple. Now we've recently moved into our new home. Our own new home, just imagine!"

House-proud Neha, now known as Shabana Raza, can't stop raving about her home. "I've done up the house piece by piece.And I still can't believe it's ours! Manoj and I don't need to socialize or go out to feel happy.

We share long evenings of tea, silences and warm vibes right in our house. Nothing gives us more joy than to be together in our house."

The career can come as and when. "I'm in no hurry. Yes, I'm passionate about acting. But I won't run after work. I never have. I'll wait for the right opportunities to come my way.

Like Alibaug. It came to me when Sanjay Gupta asked Manoj about me while they were shooting for Dus Kahaniyaan. Gupta wanted to check me out to see if I suited the role of one of Sanjay Dutt's students.

I guess I fitted the bill. Shooting Alibaug has been the most pleasurable work of my career. Not that I've done so much work," she jokes.

Tell her that people were wondering where she was and she quickly retorts, "Come on, no one was missing me. I don't have a body of work. I wish I did.

Hopefully with so many kinds of films happening now I can find my space in cinema. Otherwise there's always the space that I share with Manoj. Nothing can equal that."

Neha has now reverted to her original name. "I was always Shabana Raza. And that's how close family and friends have always known me. Neha was never me.It's too delicate a name to describe me. I'm far stronger."

Strangely in her sasural in Bihar Shabana Raza is still remembered as Neha prancing around with Ajay Devgan in an obnoxious comedy called Hogi Pyar Ki Jeet.

"It was a big hit in Bihar.And whenever I visit the state with Manoj people remember me by that film. So for now that's my claim to fame."