Two back-to-back hits - "Dhoom" and "Kaal" - have brought the glow of success to Esha Deol's face.

And now a sensitive performance in "Main Aisa Hi Hoon" marks the arrival of an actress worth watching.

Says Esha Deol happily: "I really worked hard on my role, look and performance in 'Main Aisa Hi Hoon'. I know I had very little to do. But I wanted to make the role memorable.

"I wanted this capricious character to look and behave like a lost neglected child in search of something that she doesn't know the existence of. I borrowed some of Sandra Bullock's performance in '28 Days'. She played a character who went for drug rehabilitation.

"I borrowed her mannerisms. As for the styling and clothes, it was very 'today', very young and trendy. I'm glad it worked. When you get a role where you get a chance to do something with your character you go for it. But a lot of times I'm offered roles that give me nothing to do.

"I've decided no 'faltu' (commonplace) roles for me. I'd rather stay home than do something I don't believe in."

She admits "Dhoom" turned her fortunes around. It also transformed her physical appearance.

"The character I played in 'Dhoom' needed to look a certain way. And somewhere Aditya Chopra felt I needed to change my image in the industry, that my looks needed a revamp. He could visualise my looking the way I did in 'Dhoom'. I trusted his vision completely."