Kareena Kapoor tells Jyothi Venkatesh on the eve of the release of Kambakkt Ishq, her blockbuster with Akshay Kumar that though her journey has been great as an actor, she would like to grow more because she does not want to become complacent as an actress.

What is your role in the film?
I play a part time super model Simrita Rai, who works for a surgeon in the film. Simrita is against love. She is arrogant firebrand who is more than able to stare down the most arrogant male with her caustic wit and sardonic tongue, with her firm belief that there is no such thing as love. In short, Simrita is what every woman dreams of being.

What is the USP of Kambakkt Ishq?
The film has not only the biggest Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor but it also the biggest Hollywood stars, like Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards.

What does the film set out to explore?
Kambakkt Ishq sets out to explore the relationship between two individuals like Viraj Shergill, played by Akshay Kumar and Simrita Rai, played by me, who are as different from each other as chalk and cheese. No matter how many times we are pushed together, there are only fireworks.

Why do you think Kambakkt Ishq is a style statement?
Everything in Kambakkth Ishq is a style statement. You can describe the film as a battle between the sexes.Though it is a hardcore commercial film, I consciously chose non-filmi clothes. Aki Narula has sourced my clothes from Milan. It took him 15 days to find the right kind of clothes for me. I wanted the costumes to sync well with my character. After Jab We Met where my clothes became a national rage, Kambakkth Ishq is going to set new trends.

Would you agree that it is Jab We Met directed by Imtiaz Ali which has been the turning point of your career as an actress?
I should say with due respect to the directors of my films like Omkara and Chameli that though they were special films, it was Jab We Met alone which fit me like a glove and I'd have been disappointed a lot if the film had not fetched me awards for acting.

Which are your other films besides Kambakkt Ishq which are being lined up for release this year?
Salman Khan's home production directed by Prem Soni called My Aur Mrs Khanna, Karan Johar's film with me and Saif and last but not the least Roomi Jaffrey's film with me and John Abraham. I am also acting in Rajkumar Hirani's Three Idiots in which I have been teamed opposite Aamir Khan.

Is it true that you are doing two films with Saif?
Yes. I am gung ho about doing two films with Saif. I have signed a film with Saif for director Renzel D'Sylva for Karan Johar. It is called Qurban.It is quite a hard hitting role as far as I am concerned.

I look forward to doing that film as well as Saif's own film Agent Vinod with Saif, after Tashan. Besides this film, I am also all set to do a film with John Abraham as my leading man for Asthavinayak, which is a very nice love story to be shot in the exotic locales of both New Zealand and Spain.

Which are your two major wishes that are yet to be fulfilled?
I would love to work with Rajkumar Santoshi and Rakesh Roshan, who are the only two major directors with whom I have yet not done any film till date.

Are you aiming at Hollywood as your next destination?
I do not want to waste my money on a Hollywood agent. I'd rather go on a long holiday abroad than waste my time and energy and money on trying to make it in Hollywood.

Do you have reservations about doing different genres of films?
As an actress, I do not go just by what my secretary recommends me after listening to the script. I make it a point to listen to every script, whether it is written by an established writer or an up and coming new writer.

If I had reservations, do you think would have ended up doing films like Chameli earlier which was in contrast to the kind of roles which I was doing at that point time and Jab We Met? I do not think any big actress would have agreed to do a role like the ones I did in ether Chameli or Jab We Met.

Describing your journey in films from Refugee to Kambakkht Ishq?
The going has been great as an actress from the time I had made my debut with J.P. Dutta's Refugee till now. I am glad that I have been privileged enough to have had opportunities to do so many roles.

My journey has been great as an actress, but yet I would say that I want to achieve more. I feel that my journey has just begun and I would like to grow more.