Ileana D’Cruz has been away from the public glare. The actress has not just been away from red-carpet events and the big screen, but she has also managed to evade the paparazzi.

Ask her about her disappearing act, and she says, “I hate it when people say that! I don’t vanish! I am right here. You don’t see me getting papped, because I don’t share my whereabouts. I did get the taste of the pap culture a while ago, but I realized it wasn’t meant for me. It’s not who I am, and I think it’s completely okay to be different. I have been working and have finished shooting a lot of good work. So, yes, I have been doing good work, but doing it very quietly with my head down.”

In an industry where the perception is that out of sight means out of mind and networking plays an important role to bag plum projects, doesn’t she fear being overlooked by filmmakers? Ileana says, “I would be lying if I said, ‘Oh, I don’t think about it’. Of course, I do. I even gave it a shot. I tried doing the whole PR thing, thinking I needed to be seen more. But at the end of the day, I didn’t really see too much of a difference. It’s all about the personal equation you share with people (filmmakers). Producers and directors like to know their actors a little more. So, I like meeting people who are like-minded and who I want to work with. That’s the route I have taken. When I am working, that becomes my priority, and once I am done with it, I switch off for a bit and spend time with my family. I feel that’s a good balance to have because I am not someone who can just work 24/7.”

While she prefers to stay away from the media glare, she is active on social media. Last year, Ileana had shared a post on Instagram about deleting apps used to edit and enhance pictures before uploading them. She says, “I was putting up a picture while going through filters. I was on an app that helps you lengthen your body or better your body features. When I was editing the picture, it looked perfect… nobody would have known that the picture was edited. That’s when it hit me. It hurt me. I got emotional thinking I couldn’t do it. I knew that if I put up my original picture people would comment and say horrible things, but I wanted to stay true to myself instead of falling for the app. I didn’t want to be hypocritical about body positivity, which is why I put out that post. One doesn’t have to believe everything one sees on social media. Just because I am a public figure, that doesn’t mean I wake up looking picture-perfect every day.”

The Pagalpanti actor remembers being judged for her body type. She shares, “I was told, ‘You are such a talented actor, but you are just a little too big’. It definitely stings! I have faced bullying for my body type. My body size has fluctuated over the years. I don’t look the way I did when I was 17 or 18. I am in my 30s, and I think I look great. I understand certain roles need you to look a specific way, and that is fine. I am fortunate to have worked with people who wanted to focus on the actor that I am. The most important thing is to just be happy in your own skin.”