The fresh-faced and exuberant young lady has captured the attention and admiration of a nation with her unaffected candour, sense of humour - and last but not the least, her stellar talent. Chatting merrily as her hair is coiffed and her nails painted, Alia Bhatt talks rapidly -interspersing the conversation with tongue-in-cheek comments. Excerpts from the interview...

CURRENT STATE OF MIND
I didn't have any fixed goals when I joined the film industry. I don't particularly feel 'successful' but I am grateful that my career is going well. I'm glad that my films have been appreciated. Compared to how I felt at the beginning of my career, I am a lot calmer and a lot more understanding. I am a constant work in progress.

THE 'IT' FACTOR?
I don't know if anyone knows what the 'IT' factor is. ­ If we did, we would all try to imbibe it. I don't know what works and why... Personally, however, I am a spontaneous actor and that has worked for me.

LESSONS LEARNT
Patience has been a key lesson learnt... it is an ongoing process (smiles). 'Less is more' is the best piece of advice I have ever received and it was given to me by my mother [Soni Razdan].

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Highway was a wonderful experience for me... we were on-the-go, it wasn't a 'typical shoot' with the 'typical comforts' that are often present on set. It was an eye-opening, 'life-beginning' experience for me... a truly interesting experience as I felt like a nomad.

'FIGURE' OF SPEECH
I work out with Pilates. ­ It's a great workout for body alignment. I work out everyday with once a week break. I mix it with weight training and cardio. In my opinion, Katrina Kaif has an incredible summer body. I prefer 'cooling foods' for the summer; lots of fruits like watermelons, a few strands of kesar with raisins that have been soaked overnight and lots of coconut water. Dinner is usually dahi chawal. I am a big foodie so depending on my cravings I indulge in ­ maybe pasta or risotto.

MY DREAM ROLE
My favourite movie of all-time is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I love Kate Winslet. Personally, I don't have a 'dream role' in mind as I would love to work on all kinds of roles but currently, I am particularly interested in working on an action movie, perhaps even an action series, where I can flex myself physically as well. This summer was all about watching Game Of Thrones.

BEAUTY TO BEAT THE HEAT
My summer beauty bag always contains sunblock and a soothing aloe vera gel for an after burn. I often pick up bikinis from beach boutiques on my travels. My summer beauty look involves a dewy mascara and a soft pink pout. I usually just push my hair back sleekly in the summer. Kendall Jenner is also my beauty inspiration. ­ I love her 'no-make-up make-up' look. My summer style is always easy, breezy... anything that will save me from the heat! I wear a lot of shorts and loose pants with tank tops. Currently, I wear a lot of kurtas.

A 'SOCIAL' PERSON
My phone is always on. ­ I'm on Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. I follow Taylor Swift, Justin Beiber, Beyoncé and the Kardashians as well as Sonam Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra...everyone really!

HOLIDAY PLANS
I have no time to travel or for holidays; ­ it's all just work, work, work! My sister, Shaheen, is my ideal travel partner - she's the best. My annual holiday is usually London but I would love to visit Greece! I love to visit new restaurants (or even old favourites) on my travels; shop and watch Broadway shows when possible.