Mallika Sherawat is happy staying away from the rat race of Bollywood. Not even up for PR strategies to be in the news, the actor shuttles between US and India for work, and is fine with this setup. “I’ve been an honest person, and sometimes, I’ve gotten into a lot of trouble because of that. I don’t pay attention to what other actors are doing or what their PRs are doing,” admits Sherawat, recently seen in the film RK/RKay.

Since she doesn’t believe in following what’s the norm for any actor, she also doesn’t care about social media: “I hate social media, there is so much negativity. I don’t want to subject myself to someone else’s opinion of me.”

Sherawat, 45, might be away from social media, but the internet hasn’t forgotten her. Her breakout role in Murder (2004) established her as a glam actor, and she’s often referred to one of India’s ‘sex symbols’. Does she have a problem with this image? She quips, “Abhi kya karein? Kaise change karein iss image ko? It’s up to people’s attitude how they want to perceive me. I just have to focus on what I’m doing.”