India has voted and chosen the Times 50 Most Desirable Men of 2013. The 7.34 lakh votes received online on www.itimes.com/polls along with our vote decided the winners. Bombay Times talks to Mahesh Babu who tops the list.

You've been chosen the most desirable man in India. How does it feel? It's great to be appreciated and loved by fans from across the nation. I'm happy and would like to thank everyone who has voted for me.

You've pipped some of Bollywood's hottest men to reach this position. So, what makes you so desirable? Maybe you could tell me. I try to make my fans happy by working hard in every film and I give the films everything I've got. Honestly, I just feel great to be a part of the group along with my peers.

In a fiercely competitive industry, do you feel a sense of achievement reaching this top position ahead of others? Over the years, I have worked very hard to achieve what I have so far. But I've not been alone in this journey. A lot of the credit goes to my fans. It's because of them that I'm here today. I'm quite shy, so it's overwhelming when such recognition comes my way. I'd like to say a big thank you to all those who love me and recognise the work that I do.

How would you define your desirability? I'd like to think it's a combination of my personality, my image and most importantly, the kind of films I do. Almost every Bollywood actress, be it Deepika Padukone or Sonam Kapoor, has told us they find you desirable and want to work with you. What's the secret of your pan-India popularity? Deepika and Sonam are beautiful actors and I've loved some of the work they've done. Hopefully, we will be able to work in some film together sooner or later.

We've seen you work on your looks of late - your fitness, fashion, grooming. Can you share some tips with us? In fitness, there are no shortcuts. It involves immense discipline and hard work. I've worked on my body for the last two years for a film I was working on. I'm glad people have noticed that. But, I must admit I don't follow fashion trends. I wear what makes me comfortable. In our industry, being fit and fashionable are a given. But I prefer to leave my dressing in my films to my designers.

Who is the most desirable woman for you? That's simple - my wife Namrata!

Will we see you in Bollywood soon? If there is a great story that comes my way, I'd surely give it a shot!

Forever Desirable club Starting this year, we have created a separate list for men who remain 'Forever Desirable'. Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan are the first four men to enter this super special 'Forever Desirable' club. (These stars will therefore not feature in the Times 50 Most Desirable list this year onwards). These are men who could've easily topped this list several times over the last few years, given how desirable they are. With plenty of contenders clamouring to be a part of this most desirable league year after year, a separate list will only make room for more new entrants.