Melissa D’costa (DNA; January 6, 2015)


What are you looking forward to in 2015?
I have five releases this year including two international films. I have always had one release every year. So, that’s something I am excited about. I am also going to be shooting for several films in 2015. This is how I always imagined my life to be. Work makes me really happy and it’s going really well.

Any more films with Salman?
No, not as yet, but he has promised me something.

Have you kept in touch with Salman post-Kick?
Yes, absolutely. Salman is my inspiration, my mentor. Sajid Nadiadwala and Salman have really been my strength, and huge supporters. I am very grateful for both of them.

Let’s talk about your friendship with Sonam Kapoor.
The weirdest thing is we don’t know how our friendship started. We were just kind of bumping into each other and meeting one another. There’s this mutual respect we have for each other and there’s no sense of competition between the both of us. We help each other a lot. She has really seen me through a lot of struggles, and has always been there for me. I think it’s the most amazing thing to see in an actress because she has no insecurities. She is really confident, focused, and she knows what she wants. She really inspires me and whenever I need advice on something especially work-related I always ask her for it. And she very happily gives it to me. She gives me advice that really works for me and has really worked for me. I could not have asked for a better friend in Bollywood. She really has my back. And I really love that girl because of how genuine she is.

Salman is working with your best friend Sonam Kapoor. Did you discuss Salman before she began shooting?
Sonam has worked with him before in Saawariya. So, it was the other way round. She had given me tips about working with Salman. We actually love to discuss him. He has been so wonderful to both of us.

Apart from Sonam who do you think is well dressed in B-town?
Kangana (Ranaut).

What if you were offered a film with Sonam?
That I would give my right arm for. It would be a fun thing to do a movie with your Bollywood bestie.

Your instagram and twitter feed is full of fitness tips and diet plans. Do you even plan to write a book or bring out a DVD?
I would love to. Right now, however, it would be difficult for me as I need to concentrate on different things, but that’s something I would like to do in the future. When you have this advantage of being a celebrity, there are a lot of people you can influence. I want to influence people in the right way. I want to impact people’s lives positively. I know fitness and health is something people look at celebrities for. If I can inspire someone to eat better, and look after themselves and believe in themselves, that would be nice.

After the success of Jumme Ki Raat are you getting more offers to do item songs?
Actually, surprisingly I have not got any offers to do an item number.

One director you would give your right arm to work with?
There are so many.... Rajkumar Hirani would top the list of directors I want to work with. And then there’s Imitiaz Ali and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I have always enjoyed their cinema.

There are many pairs of actors who work well together from Salman-Govinda to Arjun-Ranveer and Varun-Sid. Which heroine do you think you could make a hit jodi with?
I would love to do a film with Sonam. Because of the kind of chemistry we both share it would be fantastic for us onscreen. I also share an equation with Kangana. She is really lovely. Then there’s Anushka and Priyanka.

In an interview Sajid Khan had said that a man is able to work with more focus if there is no woman in his life alluding to your break up. He said, “…when you don’t have a woman in your life, you don’t have someone constantly nagging you, so you end up working better and are more focused.” Any comments on that?
Actually, I don’t have anything to say about that because it’s someone’s opinion and they are entitled to it. And there’s nothing more I can do or say.