Spanish actress Penelope Cruz was devastated after an Indian adoption agency rejected her offer to adopt a baby she "fell in love with" - because she wasn't married.

The "Blow" star begged the authorities to let her mother a homeless child, during her work with Mother Teresa's missionaries in Kolkata four years ago, Internet portal femalefirst reported.

Despite her unsuccessful attempt to take the child home, she's determined to adopt a baby within the next five years.

She explains: "My brother can't wait for me to have a baby so that I can relax a little bit. Last week I said I'd have a baby by the time I'm 35. I want a family.

"I also want to adopt a baby, even if I have my own. When I was in India I tried to adopt because I saw a baby that I fell in love with. But they didn't let me because I wasn't married. Something very strange happened, it's like we recognised each other."

Cruz's plans have fuelled speculation she's planning to settle down with her current boyfriend, actor Matthew McConaughey, whom she met on the set of their adventure movie "Sahara" last year.