The chap who hounded Kareena Kapoor, Smriti Mishra etc had also been persistently contacting Simi Garewal.

Recounting the wacko experience Simi says, "He introduced himself as someone from Mani Rathnam's office and offered me a role in his film which he said would also have Rajnikanth in it. I was naturally very excited. Mani Rathnam has always been my absolute favourite director along with Sanjay Bhansali. I found it a bit shady."

"So I got Mani's office number in Chennai from a friend and rang them up. Mani Rathnam's office informed us they had never got in touch with me. That's how we blew this 'Oberoi' chap's lid. He couldn't be traced because he called from a PCO. But what a fraud! I'm glad he's in jail."

Simi says such wacko fans are a part and parcel of showbiz. "Mr Bachchan, Ash , etc get such unwanted attention by the hordes. In some twisted way it's a measure of your success."

As the elegant Simi Garewal turns a year older, the actor-cum-TV anchor looks back upon her life with a sense of tremendous fulfillment.

Speaking to IANS, Simi, however, revealed her one gnawing sorrow that will stay with her for life.

"How do I look back on my life and career?" She went on to answer the question: "With a sense of tremendous fulfillment.

"But I'll be honest. I do feel a gnawing sorrow sometimes. I didn't do that one great glorious film by which I'd be remembered forever.

"But, hey, I did a lot of other things that got me immense recognition, including a talk show which is being emulated by all and sundry. It's very flattering." So how did she ring in her birthday Oct 17?

"I didn't! It just brought itself in. I did nothing about it. I don't like my birthday to be an occasion for fanfare. In fact I hate it when too much fuss is made about it.

"I spent my birthday at home close to the people who matter to me. That's the way I like it," said Simi.

"How old am I? Well... on a bad day I feel 23. On a good day I feel 17. Today is obviously a good day. I look back on my life with much satisfaction," said Simi.

"A very private person, even the new year's days are spent away from crowds, though there would be some friends whom I like bringing in the new year with," revealed the stylish actor.

"I've never been satisfied with doing just one thing. I was never only an actress, or a TV anchor or whatever.

"And when people said I was ahead of my times I took it as a compliment. It meant I was doing things that weren't in vogue," said Simi.

"As an actress many people remember me by 'Mera Naam Joker' to this day. For others I'm more the conniving evil woman in 'Karz' and for the rest I may be the mysterious woman in Conrad Rooks' 'Siddharth' or in Satyajit Ray's 'Aranyer Din Ratri'.

"When I took to TV with 'It's A Woman's World', I never thought it would be so fulfilling. Rendezvous has been on air for seven years now.

"And if I don't feel the seven-year itch it's because the show has never had predictable guests," said Simi.

"Now I'm all set to return with another season of Rendezvous. The set has changed and so has the décor. But the chosen colour is still white.

"I'll continue to wear white. My fascination for the colour has been with me for as long as I can remember. Even as a child my best party dresses were white. Today I can shop for clothes in other colours.

"I just bought myself two black suits. But I can never wear them. If I wear any colour but white I see a stranger in the mirror."