Straight talk. You could well add a footnote in a the saurus for that idiom ­ 'most applicable to the disposition of Indian actress Kajol'. No one talks as direct as her. Her candour might have reduced with time but she still retains her ability to speak from the heart... and mind. Here's Kajol, unabashed, unadul terated and so much fun...

What do you do in your free time?
I don't watch movies. It's only books for me. I can't tell you how happy I'm with my Kindle nowadays. Either I'm in the gym or I'm reading a book somewhere.

Does your daughter, Nysa, read?
Nysa is a voracious reader. I love it! I love the fact that there's one more readoholic in the house. We both have a great time discussing books. We are constantly ordering books. The moment I buy her new books, I don't have to look at her for the next few hours.

What kind of books does she read?
She's better read than me. I haven't read classics. In her school, it's a compulsion to read them. Black Beauty (Anna Sewell), Pride And Prejudice (Jane Austen)... she has read them all.

How have books changed your life?
They have changed my life tremendously. I wouldn't have been the person I am, if not for books. I don't think I'd be the actress I am if I didn't read. It's so much a part of my life. Books are what I've relied on, slept with, woken up to, loved and lived with all my life. According to my mother (actress Tanuja), I started reading when I was two years old. I read out The Times of India masthead at the age of two.

How disciplined are you and Ajay as a couple?
Our children have trained us. I can't tell you how well-behaved my husband and I are right now. Not that we used to party hard earlier. But now I go to bed by 9 pm and Ajay goes to sleep around 11 pm. We have trained ourselves well. We wake up at 8 am regardless of whether it's Saturday or Sunday.

What do you like about Ajay the most?
(Laughs) That he lets me talk. No, I believe there's so much more than that. I really love the man. I respect him for who he is. He's always been so solid. From the time we were going around, 1520 years ago, till now. He has grown, evolved and changed for the good. He started off being an amazing guy and continues to be so. If he says something, he means it. He doesn't say much but whatever he says, he does it. There's no backing off on any commitment. His pet name is Babaji. Everyone comes to him for advice.

Anything that you don't like about him?
Quite a few actually. We can't be married for so long and not dislike things about each other. Sometimes, I like the fact that he doesn't talk much and sometimes I hate the fact that he doesn't talk much. I'm like why are you so quiet... There will be no conversation between us if we don't talk. There's nothing I'll change about him though. I'm sure he will say the same thing about me too. But the one thing he'd love to have in his hands would be a remote ­ to press the mute button on me.

Who do you regard as your go-to guy?
My husband is my best friend. I tell him all that's happening in my life. Whenever I need to vent, my husband gets it from me even if he's 5,000 km away. I've to talk to him and tell him. He's my go-to guy. But I do have some amazing friends too.

What are the dos and don'ts for the kids?
There are lots of don't and there's just one do. (Laughs) Do exactly what your mother tells you to do. That's the golden rule in the house.

How has Nysa reacted to your weight loss and this image makeover of a fashionista?
Oh, she has started respecting me more after I started dressing better. (Laughs) Now she's like, 'Hmm... you are looking fine'. But most of the time, she doesn't like what I wear. I only hear 'Mama, this is crap' or 'You are looking fat' or 'Your ass is big'. If I listened to her, I'd be the person with the lowest self-esteem. I shout at her to stop her comments!

Does age scare you?
My mother's age scares me. But according to her, she will live till she's 130.

What are you afraid of?
I'm scared of cockroaches. I'm scared of not bringing up my children well. I'm scared of my insecurities overpowering my decisions. I wouldn't want that. When I put it in words, the fear lessens. But I try not to let my fears take decisions for me.

What are your insecurities?
Normal women insecurities. Am I looking fat? Am I looking thin? Am I too fat? Am I too thin? Am I looking good? Am I not looking good? Am I doing this right? Am I hurting someone? How do I go about saying no in the most polite way? There are lots of them. I won't call them insecurities. I'd call them doubts. And sometimes, you make your doubts take decisions for you.

You once said you don't like 95 per cent of people. Doesn't it get difficult?
Oh yes, I don't. But I don't associate with those 95 per cent. My social life has gotten smaller. Also, I have calmed down and become more tolerant now. I kind of have a filter between my head and my throat. My kids have taught me to look at people differently. For them, I tolerate people who I won't have liked otherwise.

Who's the boss in the house?
(Laughs) Oh definitely me! No two ways about it. Are you really asking me this?