When she came to Mumbai, she wanted to work with Mani Ratnam, Ram Gopal Varma and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. And Nandana Sen, who is also Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's daughter, has already worked with two and that's without trying, she says modestly.

The girl who made her presence felt with a cameo as Rani Mukherjee's "normal" sister in "Black" is treading new ground for a girl from a family of acclaimed intellectuals. If her father is the globally renowned Amartya Sen, her mother Nabanita Dev Sen is a professor and a Padma Shri winner, Nandana says proudly.

Besides Sanjay Bhansali's critically acclaimed "Black", Nandana also has Ram Gopal Varma's "My Wife's Murder". That leaves only Mani Ratnam in her wish list, says the actress.

In this interview, Nandana speaks at length about friends, fears, family, Bollywood and 'Bengali-isms'. Excerpts from the interview:

Q: How has "Black" changed your life?
A: People ask me why I did a supporting role. I'm baffled by the question. I'm so happy I did "Black". So many people have connected with my character. It's such an emotional experience!

I'm just thankful to be part of such an exceptional film. And "Black" is my first full-fledged mainstream film in Mumbai.

Earlier, I hadn't really made a permanent move to this city. I kept working out of Italy, the US and Canada, quite a bit of theatre in New York. I came to Mumbai to do a play called "30 Days In September".

Q: Are you a misfit in Bollywood?
A: It doesn't really matter where I come from. What matters is how I connect with audiences.

I'm not from a film family, not from Mumbai, didn't know anyone here. I didn't know how to go about making a career in Bollywood. But I was determined to do what came naturally to me.

You know I did a whole bunch of ads as I waited for my career to take off in Bollywood. Doing those ads allowed me the financial freedom to say no to films that didn't enthuse me.

Q: Was it also to stay visible?
A: There're various ways of doing films in this country. Many actors think that unless there's a genuine reason to say no to an offer, you must do it. I go the other way.

I say yes only when there's a really good reason to do it. My first few films had to be the kind that would get noticed. That limits my work. Still, I won't think of myself as a misfit. I've lived and fitted in all over the world.

Q: Was "Black" chosen as your launching pad in Bollywood?
A: No, actually I first signed Ram Gopal Varma's "My Wife's Murder". They had seen and liked me in a wacky ad. It was a great role.

And let's not even go into Goutam Ghose's "Gudiya" which I did years back when I was in Kolkata from Boston for my summer holidays. I never saw it as my proper debut.

I went back to the US and did "Seducing Maria". It got me lots of notice abroad, though not in India.

Q: How did you connect with Ram Gopal Varma?
A: When I came to Mumbai I was sure there were three directors I wanted to work with: Mani Ratnam, Ram Gopal Varma and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I've already worked with two of them. That's without really trying.

I'm extremely shy. (Though) I know I'm in a business where I can't afford to be shy. My shyness can be misconstrued for arrogance. I couldn't let it be known what I wanted to do with my career.

Q: How did "Black" happen?
A: I was called to audition - and that was it. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is unquestionably sheer brilliance. He's such a visionary. What makes him such a great director is that he knows how to get the best out of all his actors.

At the same time, he puts a lot of trust in them and lets them interpret characters in their own way.

I haven't had too much experience. I did a lot of research to play my role of jealous sister. I discovered that in a family with a disabled child, the other children are neglected and emotionally bereft.

Q: So when will you do a full masala film?
A: Mani Shankar's "Tango Charlie" is a full-on masala film. I'm Ajay Devgan's love interest and I have a love song. I wish I had a dance number though. I love to dance. But the film is about the guys.

Besides "Black" and "Tango Charlie", I did two US films last year. One is called "Over The Mountain" directed by Joseph Castelo where I play an American of Islamic origins drawn to her Muslim roots, but horrified by the fanaticism. The film is very topical and set post 9/11.

The other film is "It's A Match". This one is set in an Indian community in the suburbs of Los Angeles and is directed by Ajmal Ahmed. All my roles are extremely different from one another.

Q: The roles you get abroad are of Asian characters?
A: Not necessarily. I'm asked to play Asian, Middle Eastern, Brazilian and Italian characters.

Right now, I'm focussed on my career in Mumbai. I love Mumbai and its seaside feeling. I've decided to stay put in Mumbai. I wanted to come back home to work since I had spent so much of my growing years outside. I worked in the US and missed out on the best projects in India.

Q: Were you comfortable working with Rani Mukherjee?
A: Absolutely. Rani was very warm and friendly. She's an amazing actress. I learnt a lot from working with her and Sanjay.

In fact, it was a whole gang of Bengalis on the sets. Rani's mom would cook for us frequently. Besides, there was costume designer Sabyasachi. Bachchan is practically half Bengali and Sanjay Bhansali is very clued into the Bengali culture.

Q: So how Bengali are you?
A: As Bengali as it gets! Seriously, I never know what I am! I've travelled since my childhood. So I do have a global perspective. But I still am very Bengali. I spent my adolescent years in Santiniketan singing Rabindra Sangeet, reciting Tagore and learning Manipuri dance.

Q: What does your father Amartya Sen think of your Bollywood aspirations?
A: Both my parents are celebrities in their own right. If my dad is a Nobel laureate, my mom is a professor, a writer and a Padma Shri winner. So, I'm not new to attention.

My time is divided among India, Britain and the US. This Christmas all of us collected together in Santiniketan with my grandmother.

Then recently, my mother was in Hyderabad for a conference, while I was dubbing for "Tango Charlie". Now, I'm off to New York for another commitment. So we keep running into each other.